Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

B1 2-physics > Thermodynamics > Flashcards

Thermodynamics Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Physics 101 flashcards AP® Physics flashcards
1
Q

What is temperature?

A

A measurement of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

When an object warms up what happens to the particles?

A

They move faster

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What happens if you had two objects at different temperature?

A

Heat will flow to the colder until their temperatures are identical and thermal equilibrium is reached

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is a thermometer?

A

A temperature measuring instrument

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the three main types of thermometers?

A

-bulb thermometer
-bimetallic thermometer
-thermistor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are thermocouples used for?

A

Measurement of high temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Why is mercury used in thermometers?

A

They have a linear rate of expansion with rising temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

In a bulb thermometer what happens when temperature rises?

A

The fluid expands and moves up the tube

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Why is water not used in thermometers?

A

Because it would freeze or boil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How does a bimetallic thermometer work?

A

Two different metals are bonded together and when the temperatures rises or falls the bonded metal will bend in a certain direction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

A thermistor is a combination of two words, what are these words?

A

Thermal and resistor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How does a thermistor work?

A

A wire that changes its electrical resistance with change in temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the most commonly used sensor to measure temperature?

A

A thermistor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What temperature range is used in the metric system?

A

Celsius or centigrade

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Where is Fahrenheit used?

A

USA and some Caribbean countries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

In Fahrenheit what is the freezing point of water?

A

32˚F

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

In Fahrenheit what is the boiling point of water?

A

212˚F

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the only temperature that is the same in Celsius and Fahrenheit?

A

-40˚

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

When is kelvin used as the base unit for temperature?

A

In the SI units

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the lowest possible temperature?

A

Absolute zero

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What would happen to ordinary gases like air if they reached absolute zero?

A

They’d become rock solid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Is it possible to get to absolute zero?

A

No but we can get to a fraction of ˚C from it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the equation to work out kelvin?

A

K = C + 273.15

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is heat?

A

A measurement of energy transferred from one substance to another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is the units for heat energy?

A

joules or calories

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

When the unit calories is written down it can come in two forms, lower c and upper C, what does this mean?

A

Lower c is one thousandths of a upper C

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Does heat transfer from a lower temperature to a higher?

A

No unless work is done

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What would happen if absolute zero is reached?

A

All molecular movement would stop

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is specific heat capacity?

A

The amount of energy that is needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of that substance by 1Kelvin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

If you added heat to two different substances would they increase at the same rate?

A

No as they have different specific heat capacity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is the equation for specific heat of a substance?

A

Heat energy added / (mass x change in temperature)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is heat capacity?

A

The ratio of the amount of heat energy transferred to an object to the resulting increase in its temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What is another way to describe heat capacity?

A

Thermal mass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What is the heat capacity equation?

A

Heat energy added / change in temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What is heat transfer?

A

The flow of heat due to temperature differences

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What are the three methods by which heat is transferred?

A

-convection
-conduction
-radiation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

In relation to heat transfer what is conduction?

A

The process by which heat is directly transferred through the material

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What is the only heat transfer method in solids?

A

Conduction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

In relation to heat transfer what is convection?

A

Heat transfer from one part of a fluid to another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

What is thermal radiation?

A

Energy that comes from a source and travels through air or a vacuum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

In relation to heat transfer why is radiation different to conduction and convection?

A

Because the substances don’t have to be in contact with eachother

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

When a material is heated up and it expands what happens to the molecules for this to happen?

A

They vibrate about their positions and space between them increases

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What is linear expansion?

A

It’s the comparison between length change to the original and the change in temperature

44
Q

What type of solids does area expansion affect?

A

Two dimensional solids

45
Q

What type of solids get affected by volumetric expansion?

A

Three dimensional solids

46
Q

From the three basic states of substances, what order do they expand the most?

A

1st: gases
2nd: liquid
3rd: solids

47
Q

Why cant the expression for the linear thermal expansion of solids be used on liquids and gases?

A

Because they have no fixed shape

48
Q

What is the first law of thermodynamics?

A

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can only be transformed from one to another

49
Q

What is the second law of thermodynamics?

A

The total energy output (as produced by a machine) is equal to the amount of heat supplied

50
Q

What is a heat receiver?

A

The place where heat energy is lost

51
Q

What is another way a heat receiver is described?

A

A heat sink

52
Q

What is a thermodynamic cycle?

A

Where the. Working fluid of the system undergoes a series of processes and finally returns to its initial state i.e a refrigerator

53
Q

What are the two types o thermodynamic cycles?

A

Open and closed

54
Q

What are the five basic elements of a thermodynamic cycle?

A

-working substance
-heat source
-heat receiver
-pump
-engine

55
Q

In thermodynamic cycles what is a working substance?

A

A medium that receives, stores and transports the energy

56
Q

In thermodynamic cycles what is a heat source?

A

Supplies thermal energy to the working fluid

57
Q

In thermodynamic cycles what is a heat receiver?

A

It absorbs the heat (or thermal energy) from the working substance

58
Q

In thermodynamic cycles what is a pump?

A

Moves the working substance from low pressure to high pressure

59
Q

In thermodynamic cycles what is a engine?

A

It converts the thermal energy to work in mechanical energy

60
Q

What is the factor in a thermodynamic open cycle?

A

An opening in the system allows the fluid to be regularly replaced i.e aircraft air conditioning

61
Q

What is the main factor in a thermodynamic closed cycle?

A

The working substance never leaves the cycle

62
Q

What are the three main characteristics that affect gases?

A

-temperature
-pressure
-density

63
Q

When one of the main characteristics that affects gases what happens to the other 2?

A

They will also change

64
Q

When a gas compresses or expands, what happens to the temperature?

A

It will change

65
Q

What is boules law?

A

The direct relationship between pressure and the volume of a gas

66
Q

What is an isothermal process?

A

The pressure exerted by a gas varies inversely with the volume of the gas (temperature remains constant)

67
Q

What is Charles law?

A

Describes the direct relationship between the temperature and the volume of a gas

68
Q

What is an isobaric process?

A

The volume of a given mass of an ideal gas increases or decreases by the factor as its temperature increases or decreases (constant pressure)

69
Q

What is gay-lussac’s law?

A

Describes the direct relationship between the pressure an the temperature of a gas

70
Q

What is a isochoric process?

A

The pressure of gas varies directly with the temperature (constant volume)

71
Q

What is combined gas law?

A

It puts all three gas laws together to show that pressure, temperature, and volume are interrelated

72
Q

How do you calculate work in a thermodynamic process?

A

Work = pressure x change in volume

73
Q

What is an adiabatic process?

A

Where no heat is transferred to or from the system

74
Q

Why is an adiabatic process an idealisation?

A

Because it is impossible to get absolute thermal insulation

75
Q

What is an engine cycle in thermal dynamics?

A

Any thermodynamic process constituting a cycle for the conversion of heat into work

76
Q

What is meant when a system is said to have undergone a process?

A

One of the properties of the system change (temperature,volume, etc)

77
Q

What is a reversible process?

A

Is a process when the system can be restored to the initial state from the final state without causing any changes in the surroundings

78
Q

In practice why does a reversible process never occurs?

A

Because you will always affect the surroundings as you can’t achieve thermodynamic equilibrium

79
Q

What is a irreversible process?

A

A process that cannot be completely reversed without causing any changes in the surroundings

80
Q

Why is a irreversible process also called the natural process?

A

Because all the processes occurring in nature are irreversible processes

81
Q

What is an internal combustion engine?

A

A heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidiser in a combustion chamber

82
Q

What are the two types of theoretical and practical cycles for the internal combustion engine?

A

-reciprocating piston engines
-gas turbine engines

83
Q

What is the difference between a reciprocating piston engine (car engine) and a gas turbine engine (plane engine)?

A

The piston engine use non-flow processes that convert heat energy into mechanical energy however a gas turbine engine use flow processes to convert heat energy into mechanical energy

84
Q

What happens with pressure and volume in a gas turbine engine?

A

Combustion occurs at a constant pressure with an increase in volume

85
Q

What happens with pressure and volume in a piston engine?

A

Combustion occurs at a constant volume with an increase in pressure

86
Q

In both piston and gas turbine engines what are the four stages?

A

Induction , compression, combustion, and exhaust

87
Q

What is the Otto cycle?

A

An idealised thermodynamic cycle describing the processes in a spark ignition piston engine

88
Q

What is the Brayton cycle?

A

A thermodynamic cycle describing the process in a constant-pressure heat engine

89
Q

What are the three main components to a brayton-type engine?

A

A gas compressor, a mixing chamber, and an expander

90
Q

What does a heat pump do?

A

Transfers thermal energy from a cold place to a warm place (opposite to natural flow of heat)

91
Q

What is refrigeration?

A

The removal and relocation of heat

92
Q

Cooling can be achieved by what three processes?

A

-conduction
-convection
-radiation

93
Q

What are the two main processes used in the design of refrigeration equipment?

A

Conduction and convection

94
Q

What principle is used for an aircraft refrigeration system?

A

That a liquid can be made to vaporise at any temperature by altering the pressure acting on it

95
Q

What is latent heat?

A

The amount of heat that is absorbed or released when a body undergoes a constant temperature process

96
Q

Why is latent heat said to be latent?

A

There is a change of heat but no change of temperature

97
Q

When is there a change in heat energy but no change in temperature of a substance?

A

When that substance is changing its state i.e ice to water or water to steam

98
Q

What is latent heat Of fusion?

A

The heat added causing a change of state from solid to a liquid

99
Q

What is latent heat of evaporation?

A

The heat added causing a change of state from liquid to a vapour

100
Q

What are the two types of curves when considering the changes of states?

A

A cooling curve and a heating curve

101
Q

In relation to cooling curves and heating curves what is fusion?

A

The phase transition from a solid to a liquid

102
Q

In relation to cooling and heating curves what is solidification?

A

A phase change of matter that results in the production of a solid

103
Q

Why is solidification an exothermic process?

A

Because heat is released during the change

104
Q

What is thermal energy?

A

The kinetic energy possessed by an object due to the movement of particles within it

105
Q

The faster the particles move within an object or system results in?

A

A higher temperature

106
Q

What is the heat of combustion?

A

The energy released as heat when a substance undergoes complete combustion with oxygen

B1 2-physics (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions