Top 100 short questions on THERMODYNAMICS(for B. Sc)

Thermodynamics Short questions and Answers.

Most important points on thermodynamics

1.     Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that deals with the study of energy and its transformations in systems.

2.    It encompasses the principles governing heat, work, temperature, and energy transfer.

3.    The laws of thermodynamics provide a framework for understanding the behavior of macroscopic systems.

Get Notes on Thermodynamics for BSc here.

4.    The first law of thermodynamics states that energy is conserved in a closed system.

5.    It relates the change in internal energy of a system to the heat added to it and the work done on or by the system.

6.    The second law of thermodynamics establishes the concept of entropy, which characterizes the direction of spontaneous processes.

7.    It states that the entropy of an isolated system tends to increase over time.

8.    The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a perfect crystal approaches zero as its temperature approaches absolute zero.

9.    The concept of temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system.

10.      The Kelvin scale is an absolute temperature scale with zero Kelvin (0 K) corresponding to absolute zero (-273.15°C or -459.67°F).

11.  Heat is the transfer of energy between two systems due to a temperature difference.

12.           It can be transferred by conduction, convection, or radiation.

13.   Work is the transfer of energy due to a force acting through a distance.

14.           It can be mechanical, electrical, or other forms of work.

15.      Thermodynamic systems can be classified as open, closed, or isolated systems based on the exchange of matter and energy with their surroundings.

16.           A closed system allows the transfer of energy but not matter across its boundaries.

17.           An open system allows both energy and matter transfer.

18.     An isolated system does not exchange energy or matter with its surroundings.

19.           The state of a thermodynamic system is described by its properties, such as temperature, pressure, volume, and composition.

20.           The equation of state relates the state variables of a system.

21.  The ideal gas law is an equation of state that describes the relationship between pressure, volume, temperature, and the number of moles of an ideal gas.

22.     Enthalpy (H) is a thermodynamic property that combines the internal energy of a system with the pressure-volume work.

23.       Entropy (S) is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system.

24.  Gibbs free energy (G) combines the enthalpy and entropy to determine the spontaneity of a process.

25.   Heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree.

26.  Specific heat capacity is the heat capacity per unit mass of a substance.

27.      The concept of phase transitions describes the change of a substance from one state (solid, liquid, or gas) to another.

28.   The heat of fusion is the amount of heat required to change a substance from a solid to a liquid state at its melting point.

29.      The heat of vaporization is the amount of heat required to change a substance from a liquid to a gas state at its boiling point.

30.       The Carnot cycle is a theoretical cycle of an ideal heat engine that operates between two temperatures.

31.      It sets the upper limit of efficiency for any heat engine operating between the same two temperatures.

32.           Thermal efficiency is the ratio of the work output to the heat input in a heat engine.

33.      The concept of reversibility describes a process that can be reversed without any change in entropy.

34.    Real processes are typically irreversible due to factors like friction, heat transfer through finite temperature differences, and irreversibilities within the system.

35.     The concept of heat engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps are based on the principles of thermodynamics.

36.        Heat engines convert heat energy into mechanical work.

37.       Refrigerators and heat pumps transfer heat from a low-temperature region to a high-temperature region.

38. The coefficient of performance (COP) is used to measure the effectiveness of refrigerators and heat pumps.

39.  The concept of entropy generation describes the irreversible processes that lead to an increase in the entropy of the universe.

40.      The concept of thermodynamic equilibrium refers to a state where there is no net transfer of heat or energy between systems.

41.  Phase diagrams depict the relationships between temperature, pressure, and the phases of a substance.

42.   Critical points on phase diagrams mark the conditions where the liquid and gas phases become indistinguishable.

43.      The concept of fugacity describes the escaping tendency of molecules from a non-ideal gas or liquid.

44.     The Van der Waals equation of state is a modification of the ideal gas law to account for the intermolecular forces and volume occupied by gas molecules.

45.   The concept of chemical potential describes the tendency of molecules to move between phases or react.

46. Gibbs-Duhem equation relates the changes in chemical potential, pressure, and temperature for multicomponent systems.

47.   The Maxwell relations are a set of equations that connect partial derivatives of thermodynamic properties.

48.     The concept of heat transfer coefficient quantifies the rate of heat transfer between a solid surface and a fluid.

49.           The Stefan-Boltzmann law describes the relationship between the temperature and the radiant energy emitted by a black body.

50.    The concept of black body radiation led to the development of quantum mechanics.

51.   The concept of entropy production relates to the irreversibility of processes and the increase in entropy.

52.           The Clausius inequality states that the integral of the entropy production in a cycle is greater than or equal to zero.

53.    The concept of thermodynamic potentials, such as internal energy, Helmholtz free energy, and Gibbs free energy, allows the determination of the most stable state of a system.

54.     The concept of chemical equilibrium describes a state where the rates of forward and reverse reactions are equal, and there is no net change in the concentration of reactants and products.

55.   The equilibrium constant (K) is a thermodynamic quantity that relates the concentrations of reactants and products in a chemical equilibrium.

56.     Le Chatelier's principle predicts the effect of changes in temperature, pressure, and concentration on the equilibrium position of a reaction.

57.   The concept of activity describes the effective concentration of a species in a mixture, accounting for the interactions between molecules.

58.    The concept of phase rule relates the number of phases, components, and degrees of freedom in a system.

59.       The concept of enthalpy of reaction quantifies the heat evolved or absorbed in a chemical reaction.

60.  Hess's law states that the enthalpy change of a reaction is independent of the reaction pathway and depends only on the initial and final states.

61.   The concept of standard conditions defines a set of reference conditions (usually 298 K and 1 atm) for the calculation of standard enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy changes.

62.      The Nernst equation relates the potential of an electrochemical cell to the activities of the species involved.

63.    The concept of heat exchangers allows efficient transfer of heat between two fluids at different temperatures.

64.    The Clausius-Clapeyron equation relates the vapor pressure of a substance with temperature and enthalpy of vaporization.

65.    The concept of exergy quantifies the maximum useful work that can be obtained from a system in equilibrium with its surroundings.

66.   The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution describes the distribution of molecular speeds in a gas at a given temperature.

67.  The concept of critical phenomena refers to the behavior of a substance near its critical point, where its properties change dramatically.

68.     The concept of adiabatic processes describes a process in which no heat transfer occurs between a system and its surroundings.

69.    The concept of polytropic processes describes processes with variable heat and work transfer.

70.   The concept of steady-state describes a system in which the properties remain constant with time despite energy transfer.

71.     The concept of specific heat capacity ratio relates the heat capacities at constant pressure and constant volume for a gas.

72.   The concept of absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature, where molecular motion ceases.

73.     The concept of calorimetry allows the measurement of heat transfer during a process or reaction.

74.    The concept of internal combustion engines involves the combustion of a fuel-air mixture to produce mechanical work.

75.   The concept of thermal expansion describes the increase in size or volume of a substance with temperature.

76.    The concept of heat pumps and air conditioning involves the transfer of heat from a low-temperature region to a high-temperature region using mechanical work.

77.    The concept of entropy change in a process determines the maximum possible efficiency of a heat engine.

78.  The concept of enthalpy change in a reaction determines the heat evolved or absorbed during a chemical reaction.

79.  The concept of heat transfer through conduction involves the transfer of heat through direct molecular interaction.

80.   The concept of heat transfer through convection involves the transfer of heat through the movement of fluid particles.

81.    The concept of heat transfer through radiation involves the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves.

82.    The concept of specific entropy relates the entropy change to the mass or mole of a substance.

83.   The concept of adiabatic walls describes a system where no heat is allowed to transfer across the boundaries.

84.    The concept of reversible processes describes idealized processes that can be reversed without any irreversibilities.

85.      The concept of entropy change in an adiabatic process is zero.

86.    The concept of thermodynamic cycles involves a series of processes that return a system to its original state.

87.   The concept of Carnot efficiency represents the maximum possible efficiency of a heat engine operating between two temperatures.

88.     The concept of chemical potential energy relates to the energy stored in chemical bonds and the potential for chemical reactions.

89.   The concept of specific heat capacity at constant pressure (Cp) and constant volume (Cv) characterizes the heat capacity of a substance.

90.    The concept of spontaneous processes describes processes that occur without any external intervention.

91.    The concept of thermodynamic stability refers to the tendency of a system to reach equilibrium.

92.   The concept of work done by or on a system is determined by the product of force and displacement.

93.  The concept of thermodynamic efficiency relates the useful work output to the total energy input.

94.  The concept of entropy generation relates to the irreversible processes and the increase in total entropy in a system.

95.    The concept of enthalpy change in phase transitions characterizes the heat absorbed or released during the transition.

96.  The concept of specific heat capacity at constant pressure (Cp) and constant volume (Cv) depends on the molecular structure and degrees of freedom.

97. The concept of heat transfer coefficient relates the rate of heat transfer to the temperature difference and properties of the medium.

98. The concept of thermodynamic equilibrium describes a state where there is no net change in any property of a system.

99.  The concept of heat engines follows the principles of thermodynamics to convert heat energy into useful work.

The concept of thermal conductivity characterizes the ability of a material to conduct heat.

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