IB Physics Topic B.4 Thermodynamics Questionbank (HL)

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 $V$ to $2V$ . If its initial temperature is $T$ , 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 $0.80\ \text{m}^3$ to $0.40\ \text{m}^3$ 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 $3500\ \text{J}$ . 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.

IB Physics B.4 Thermodynamics Questionbank

IB Physics B.4 Thermodynamics Questionbank