Practice IB Physics Topic B.4 Thermodynamics with authentic exam-style questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank focuses on the exact syllabus content for B.4 Thermodynamics and mirrors Paper 1A, 1B, 2 style where relevant.
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Which statement is a consequence of the second law of thermodynamics in terms of statistical mechanics?
Which expression defines entropy change for a reversible process?
An ideal monatomic gas expands adiabatically from volume to . If its initial temperature is , what is its final temperature?
An ideal gas is initially confined to one half of a thermally insulated container. The other half of the container is evacuated. A partition is removed, allowing the gas to undergo a free expansion to fill the entire volume. What are the resulting changes in the temperature and the entropy of the gas?
A sealed cylinder contains a monatomic ideal gas. The gas is compressed from a volume of to at constant temperature.
Define the term “isothermal process.”
State what happens to the internal energy of the gas during this process and explain your answer.
The pressure-volume graph below represents this isothermal compression.
Explain what the area under the curve physically represents.
The area under the curve is numerically equal to . Using the first law of thermodynamics, determine the amount of thermal energy transferred to or from the gas. State whether it is into or out of the gas.