Thermodynamics [72 marks]

1. [Maximum mark: 1]
A gas undergoes one cycle of a cyclic process.

The net change in internal energy of the gas is

A. zero.

B. positive.

C. negative.

D. determined by the initial temperature of the gas. [1]

2. [Maximum mark: 1]
A working refrigerator with the door open is placed in a sealed room.

The entropy of the room

A. is zero.

B. decreases.

C. remains unchanged.

D. increases. [1]

3. [Maximum mark: 1]
A thermodynamic cycle consisting of an adiabatic, isovolumetric and
isothermal processes is shown.
 Which of the following correctly identifies the processes of the cycle?

Adiabatic Isovolumetric Isothermal

A. X→Y Y→Z Z→X
B. Z→X X→Y Y→Z
[1]
C. Z→X Y→Z X→Y
D. Y→Z Z→X X→Y

4. [Maximum mark: 1]
An ideal gas expands isothermally. The work done by the gas is 100 J.
What is the change in the internal energy of the gas?

A. −100 J

B. 0

C. +50 J

D. +100 J [1]
5. [Maximum mark: 1]
A thermodynamic process taking place in an isolated system is
irreversible when the final state of the system has a:

A. greater number of microstates than the initial state

B. smaller number of microstates than the initial state

C. greater internal energy than the initial state

D. smaller internal energy than the initial state [1]

6. [Maximum mark: 1]
Which statement is correct about the entropy of a non-isolated
system?

A. It always increases

B. It always decreases

C. It can only increase if the entropy of the surroundings decreases

D. It can only decrease if the entropy of the surroundings increases [1]

7. [Maximum mark: 1]
An energy of 200 J is transferred isothermally to an ideal gas. The
temperature of the gas is 27 °C.

The entropy change of the gas is

A. 0.67 J K−1
 B. 0.14 J K−1

C. 1.5 J K−1
[1]
D. 7.4 J K−1

8. [Maximum mark: 1]
Energy is transferred very slowly to ice of mass 0.050 kg at its melting
point so that the ice melts completely. The melted water remains at 0
°C.

The specific latent heat of fusion of ice = 335 kJ kg−1

What is the entropy change of the ice?

A. 0.041 kJ k −1

B. 0.061 kJ k −1

C. 0.041 J k −1

D. 0.061 J k −1 [1]

9. [Maximum mark: 1]
Three statements about the Carnot cycle are:

I. The Carnot cycle is reversible.

II. The net entropy change of the surroundings of the gas over one
cycle is positive.
III. Heat transfer takes place in only two stages of the cycle

Which statements are correct?

 A. I and II

B. I and III

C. II and III [1]

D. I, II and III

10. [Maximum mark: 1]

For a thermodynamic process, the entropy of the universe

A. always increases during the process

B. depends only on energy transferred during the process

C. is zero during the process

D. never decreases during the process [1]

11. [Maximum mark: 20]

A nuclear power station uses uranium-235 (235
92
U) as fuel. One possible fission

reaction of 235
92
U is

235 1 132 101 1

U + n → Te + Zr + 3 n
92 0 52 40 0

(a.i) State the principal energy change in nuclear fission.

[1] 
(a.ii) The energy released in the reaction is about 180 MeV. Estimate,
in J, the energy released when 1 kg of 235
92
U undergoes fission.
[3] 

One of the products of the reaction is a nucleus of tellurium-132 (132

52
Te). The

diagram shows the location of 132

52
Te in a table of nuclides in which the proton

number of a nuclide is plotted against its neutron number. The nuclides shown in
black are stable.

(b.i) State and explain the decay mode of 132Te.

52 [2] 
A sample of pure 132
52
Te is extracted from some spent nuclear fuel from the

reactor. The graph shows how the natural logarithm of the activity A of the
sample varies with time t.

(b.ii) Calculate, in s−1, the initial activity of the sample.

[1] 

(b.iii) Show that the decay constant of a nuclide is given by −m, where
m is the slope of the graph of lnA against t.
 [1] 

(b.iv) Determine, in days, the half-life of 132Te.

52 [2] 

The nuclear power station uses high-pressure gas to power an electrical

generator. The gas circulates between the heat exchanger and the turbine of the
generator.

(c.i) Outline the role of the heat exchanger in a nuclear power

station. [1] 

The working gas of the turbine undergoes a cyclic change that can be modelled
as the cycle ABCDA shown in the pressure-volume diagram.
The cycle consists of an isobaric expansion AB, adiabatic expansion BC, isobaric
compression CD and adiabatic compression DA. The cycle is drawn for a quantity
of 1.0 mol of monatomic ideal gas.
(c.ii) Calculate the maximum temperature of the gas during the
cycle. [3] 

The following data are given about the work W done by the gas and thermal
energy Q transferred to the gas during each change:

Change W / kJ Q / kJ
AB 8.23 20.58
 BC 9.11 0
CD −4.32 −10.81
DA −3.25 0
(c.iii) Outline why the entropy of the gas remains constant during
changes BC and DA. [1] 

(c.iv) Determine the efficiency of the cycle.

[2] 

During a maintenance shutdown of the reactor, the gas supply to the turbine is
cut off and the turbine gradually comes to rest. The diagram shows how the
angular speed of the turbine varies with time t.
 (d) Show that the rotational kinetic energy of the turbine decreases
at a constant rate. [3] 

12. [Maximum mark: 6]

The particles of an ideal gas initially occupy one half of an isolated container,
whose second half is initially empty. The gas is then allowed to expand freely
into the second half. The diagram shows two configurations of the gas: the initial
configuration A and configuration B, in which equal numbers of particles occupy
each half of the container.
 When a particle moves to a new position within the same half of the container,
the microstate of the gas is considered unchanged. When a particle moves to the
other half of the container, a new microstate is formed.
(a) Explain why the gas in configuration B has a greater number of
microstates than in A. [3] 

(b) Deduce, with reference to entropy, that the expansion of the

gas from the initial configuration A is irreversible. [3] 

13. [Maximum mark: 8]

An isolated system consists of six particles. The total energy of the system is 6E,
where E is a constant. The particles can randomly exchange energy between one
another, in integer multiples of E.

(a) State what is meant by an isolated system.

[1] 

The energy diagram shows two possible configurations of the system. Each dot
in the diagram represents one particle. In configuration A, one particle has
energy 6E and the remaining particles have zero energy. In configuration B, three
particles have energies 3E, 2E and E, and the remaining particles have zero
energy.

(b) State and explain the number of microstates of the system in

configuration A. [2] 
 (c) Configuration B has 120 microstates. Calculate the entropy
difference between configurations B and A. State the answer in
terms of kB. [2] 

(d) The system is initially in configuration A. Comment, with

reference to the second law of thermodynamics and your
answer in (c), on the likely evolution of the system. [3] 

14. [Maximum mark: 3]

 Outline, using these two cases as examples, the distinction between a
microstate and a macrostate. [3]

15. [Maximum mark: 7]

The table shows some of the macrostates and microstates for 10 identical coins
tossed at random that can land either heads or tails upwards.

Number of
Macrostate
microstates
heads tails
10 0 1
9 1 10
8 2 45
7 3 120
6 4 210
5 5 252

There are a total of 1024 microstates for this system.

(a) Determine the fractional number of throws for which the three
most likely macrostates occur.

[3] 
 (b) A throw is made once every minute. Estimate the average time
required before a throw occurs where all coins are heads or all
coins are tails. [2] 

(c) In one throw the coins all land heads upwards. The following
throw results in 7 heads and 3 tails. Calculate, in terms of kB, the
change in entropy between the two throws. [2] 

16. [Maximum mark: 8]

The pressure p and volume V diagram represents a Carnot cycle for an ideal
monatomic gas.

(a) Show, using the first law of thermodynamics, that during the
process from A to B energy is supplied to the gas. [3] 

(b) The following data are given:

Volume of the gas at A: 2.2 × 10−3 m3

Pressure of the gas at A: 4.3 × 105 Pa
Pressure of the gas at D: 1.7 × 105 Pa

(b.i) Show that the volume of the gas at D is about 4 × 10−3 m3.
[2] 
 (b.ii) Calculate the efficiency of this Carnot cycle.
[3] 

17. [Maximum mark: 10]

A closed system contains 0.0070 mol of an ideal monatomic gas. The gas
undergoes a cycle of four steps, represented below, consisting of two isobaric
and two adiabatic processes.
Initially, at A, the gas is at a pressure of 120 kPa and a temperature of 200 K.
(a) Show that the volume of the system at A is about 1.0 × 10−4 m3.
[1] 

(b) The gas undergoes an isobaric process from A to B reaching a

volume of 1.3 × 10−4 m3.

Show that the temperature of the gas at B is about 270 K. [1] 

(c) The gas now undergoes an adiabatic compression from B to C.

For this compression, the ratio of the pressures is

= 5.0
Pressure at C

Pressure at B

Determine the volume of the gas at C. [2] 

(d.i) Identify the nature of the thermal energy transferred, Q, the

change in internal energy of the gas, ΔU, and the work done, W,
for each step of the cycle. Insert, in the table below, “+” to
 identify a positive value, “−” to identify a negative value or “0”
when the quantity does not change. Three values are given.

[4] 

(d.ii) Deduce, without performing any calculation, that during the

cycle ABCDA there is a net output of thermal energy. [1] 

(e) Discuss, in terms of entropy changes, the impact of this cycle on

the surroundings. [1] 

© International Baccalaureate Organization, 2024