Heat and Work

Heat is related to temperature. Heat transferbmay change one’s temperature or one’s phase. This
change in temperature, either a decrease or an increase means that there is an energy transfer in the
form of heat. On the other hand, phase change means that there is a change in body’s internal energy.

The concept of the conservation of energy states that: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. The first
law of thermodynamics is actually based on this concept. It states that: The change in internal energy of
a system equals the difference between the heat taken in by the system and the work done by the
system. Internal energy of a substance is the sum of molecular kinetic energy (due to the random
motion of the molecules), the molecular potential energy (due to forces that act between the atoms of a
molecule and between the molecules), and other kinds of molecular energy. The law is expressed as

ÄU = Q-W

Where: Q = the amount of heat flowing into a system during a given process
W = the net work done by the system
ÄU = the change in the system’s internal energy

If 150J of energy is added to a system when no external work was done, by how
much will the thermal energy of the system raised?

Given: Q= 150J
W= 0
Find: U
Solution:
U= Q- W = 150J- 0 = 150 J
Summary:
1. The increase in the internal energy of a system is equal to the amount of heat added to a system
minus the work done by the system.
2. Adiabatic process is a process without gain or loss of heat.
3. Internal/ thermal energy is the sum of all kinetic and potential energies of the atoms/ molecules in
the system.

Heat Pump
An object with a high temperature is said to be hot, and the word “hot” brings to mind the word
“heat.” Heat flows from a hotter object to a cooler object when the two objects are placed in contact. It
is for this reason that a pot of chocolate drink feels hot to the touch, while the scoop of an ice cream
feels cold. The temperature of hot chocolate is higher than the normal body temperature of 37°C, while
the temperature of an ice cream is lower than 37°C. When you touch a cup of hot chocolate drink, heat
flows the hotter cup into a cooler hand. When you touch a cone of ice cream, heat again flows from hot
to cold, in this case from the warmer hand into a colder cone. The response of the nerves in the hand to
the arrival or departure of heat prompts the brain to identify the cup of chocolate drink as being hot and
the cone of an ice cream as being cold. How can we do the reverse? A heat pump is used to reverse
the process. It is a device that allows heat to transfer from a cold reservoir to a warmer one, which
cannot happen spontaneously, or on its own. Work is required for the heat to flow from a lower to a
higher temperature. This work is provided by the motor of a heat pump.

Heat flows normally from higher temperature to lower temperature. It is a natural or

spontaneous process. It does not require any external energy to occur. When heat flows from lower
temperature to higher temperature, it needs mechanical energy to happen. It is called non-
spontaneous process. In so doing, work should be done. Mechanical energy is required for this to
happen. The Second Law of Thermodynamics is applied here. It states that Heat will never of itself
flow from a cold temperature to a hot temperature object. The work is provided by the motor of the
heat pump.

Summary:
1. Heat flows normally from higher temperature to lower temperature which is spontaneous process.
It does not require any external energy to occur.
2. Non-spontaneous process happens when heat flows from lower temperature to higher
temperature. It needs mechanical energy to occur.
3. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that Heat will never of itself flow from a cold
temperature to a hot temperature object. Hence, heat pump is used.
4. A heat pump is a device that reverses the direction of the heat flow: from a cold reservoir to a
warmer one. Refrigerator and air conditioning unit are examples of heat pump.
Heat Engines
Work can be easily transformed into heat. It is very evident when doing work. All the work we do
in overcoming friction is completely changed to heat. Example, eating (which is a method of work due
to tearing and chewing food particles) can be completely converted into heat (which is the product of
mechanical and chemical combustion and absorption of nutrients occurred in the digestive system).
Reversing the process is impossible such as changing heat completely into work. To make it possible,
we have to convert some heat to mechanical work. This would happen only using heat engines. Heat
engine is a device that changes thermal energy into mechanical work.

A device that changes thermal energy into mechanical work is a heat engine. A heat engine consists of
a gas confined by a piston in a chamber. If the gas is heated, it expands, making the piston moves. A
practical engine is operated through cycles; the piston has to move back and forth. When the gas has
heated, the piston moves up. When it is cooled, the piston moves downward. A cycle of heating and
cooling will move the piston up and down. A very important component of heat engines, then, is that
two temperatures are involved. At one cycle, the system is heated, at another, it is cooled.

Three things happen in a full cycle of a heat engine:

1. Heat is added. It is an input heat (QH) which is relatively high temperature.
2. Some of the energy from that input heat is used to do work (W).
3. The rest of the heat is removed at a relatively cold temperature (QC).

There are four cycle-stroke in a gasoline engine. In the intake stroke, the inlet valve opens, the piston
moves down as the fuel-air mixture fills in the cylinder. In compression stroke, the piston moves up and
compresses the mixture- --adiabatically, since no heat transfer happens. The spark plug ignites the
mixture making its temperature high. Adiabatic process tends to push the piston down, thus it is called
power stroke. In exhaust stroke, the burned gases are pushed out of the exhaust valve. The intake
valve once again opens and the cycle repeats.

Summary:
1. The total kinetic and potential energy of all its particles is the internal energy of a body.
2. The internal energy of a body increases when
a) its temperature increases and
b) it changes from solid to liquid or from liquid to gas.
3. Heat is the energy transferred from one body to another as a result of a temperature difference.
4. Heating is the process in which heat is transferred from one body to another as a result of a
temperature difference.
5. By doing work or by heating, internal energy can be increased.
6. Joule (J) is the unit to express internal energy.
7. Heat engine is a device that changes thermal energy into mechanical work.
8 Internal combustion engines are engines that combustion takes place inside the engine chamber.
Examples are gasoline, diesel engine and our human body.
External combustion engines are engines where the fuel combustion takes place outside the engine.
Steam, piston engine and the atmosphere are examples of external combustion engine.
9 Thermal Pollutionof the air can affect the weather; thermal pollution of water can be harmful to
aquatic animals.

How is electricity transmitted and distributed?

From the power plants, electricity is then made to travel along cables and wires called
transmission lines. Transmission lines are commonly put up between transmission substations which
are regulated by the National Power Corporation. Transmission lines may either be constructed
overhead on towers or they may be underground. They are operated at high voltages, send out large
amounts of electrical power and extend over considerable distances. From the generating station, the
transmission substations step up the voltage to a range of 138,000 – 765,000 volts. Within the
operating area, transmission substations reduce (step down) the transmitted voltage to 34,500 –
138,000 volts. This power is then carried through lines to the distribution systems located in the local
service area. The distribution system connects the transmission system to the customer’s household.
MERALCO is in charge of electrical energy distribution in Metro Manila. The distribution substations
further step down the voltage to 2,400 – 19, 920 volts. A step-down transformer further reduces the
voltage to 220 V – the standard AC voltage in the Philippines. This voltage powers most of the electrical
appliances we have at home.

Calculating Energy Use

The formula in finding power (in watts) is written below.

P = VI
where: P = Power (Watts)
V = Voltage (Volts)
I = Current (Amperes)

For example, an electric fan draws 5-A current from a 220-V outlet, its power input is 1,100 W. For one
appliance, the power rating is large in number, so the unit used for combined power rating in a
household is in kilowatt (kW) which is equal to 1000 watts. All of the appliances in a household may
have a combined power rating, that is why, energy is usually computed based on the time of usage of
the appliances. To get the total energy used by an appliance in an hour, multiply the power
consumption by the one hour as in the formula below:

E = Pt
where: E = Energy used (kWh)
P = Power, (W)
T = Time (s)

The unit of measurement for energy usage is kilowatt-hour (kWh) which is one kilowatt of power for a
period of one hour. For example, the reading in the analog meter shows that the customer has used
almost 8000kWh, 7796 kWh to be exact, while the reading in the digital meter of another customer is
exactly 40.608 kWh. To find how much energy you used in one month, your last month’s reading is
subtracted from the total.

Sample Problem:
1. All of the computers in the ICT room are in use for 5 hours every day and together use 8.3 kW. How
much energy is used in a day?
Given: P = 8.3 kW
T=5h
Find: Energy used
E = Pt
= (8.3 kW)( 5h)
E = 41.5 kWh

2. How much does it cost to operate a 400 W television for 8 hours if electrical energy costs 6.88 pesos
per kWh (includes both generation and distribution charges - Meralco rate as of January, 2014) ?
Find: cost to operate
E = Pt
= (0.400 kW)(8 h)
E = 3.2 kWh

Cost = (3.2 kWh) (6.88 pesos/kWh) = 22.02 pesos