Basic Thermodynamics

Module 3: Basic Principles and Concepts

3. Enumerate 3 types of pressure measuring devices.
TOPIC
OUTLINE

A. Mass, Weight and Gravitational Acceleration

MASS, WEIGHT
GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION
B. Specific Volume, Density and Specific Weight
C. Pressure, Gage Pressure and Vacuum Pressure
The mass of a body is the absolute quantity of matter in
it; an unchanging quantity when the speed of the mass
is small compared to the speed of light (186,000 miles
LEARNING per second).
OBJECTIVES The weight of the body (Fg ) means the force of gravity
on the body.
At the end of this module, you should be able to: Fg = mg

1. Differentiate mass from weight. where: Fg = weight of the body N, lbf

m = mass of the body kg, lbm
2. Learn the different types of pressure measuring de- g = gravitational acceleration sm2 fs2t
vices.
at different elevation,
3. Calculate pressure using the theoretical formula.
Fg F go
=
g go
OVERVIEW where:
g0 = gravitational acceleration at sea level =
9.81 sm2 = 32.2 fs2t
F go = weight of the body at sea level
Module 3 serves as broad discussion of pressure, which F g = weight at any location of gravitational acceleration
is the normal force exerted by a fluid per unit area,
absolute and gage pressures, the variation of pressure Conversion Factors:
with depth, and pressure measurement devices, such
as manometers and barometers. It also contains the
continuation of newton’s second law of motion from the • 1 kg = 9.81 N
previous lesson. This module is good for 2 hour lecture. • 1 slug = 32.2 lb
• 1000 N = 1 kN

PRE
ASSESMENT

Answer the following questions.

1. What is the difference between kg-mass and

kg-force?

2. True or False. Mass is also equal to weight.

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Basic Thermodynamics
Module 3: Basic Principles and Concepts

Example 1 for mass 2:

A system has a mass of 20 kg. Determine the external
force necessary to accelerate it 10 m/s2 (a) horizontally Fg = mg
along a frictionless plane, N (b) vertically in a region
1kgf N
where g=9.81 m/s2 if the external force is applied Fg = 800g × × 9.81
vertically upward, N (c) vertically downward, N 1000gf kgf
Fg = 7.848N
then;
m
7.848N = m2 × 9.14
s2
m2 = 0.8586kg

for mass 3:

Fg = mg

ft
15poundals = m3 × 30
s2
then;
m3 = 0.5lb = 0.22675kg
Figure 1: Diagram of b and c, respectively
for mass 4:
Solution:
Fg = mg
a.
F = ma ft
3lb = m3 × 30
s2
then;
m then;
Fex = 20kg × 10 = 200N m4 = 0.1slug = 1.4603kg
s2
b.
Fex − Fg = ma for mass 5:
m 32.2lb 1kg
Fex − 196.2N = 20kg × 9.81 m5 = 0.10slug × ( × )
s2 1slug 2.205lb
Fex = 396.2N
m5 = 1.4603kg
c.
Fex + Fg = ma Total mass:
m
Fex + 196.2N = 20kg × 9.81 mtotal = 0.5kg + 0.8586kg + 1.4603kg + 1.4603kg
s2
Fex = 3.8N

Example 2
SPECIFIC VOLUME
Five masses in region where local g = 30 fst/ m/
2 (9.14 s2 )
DENSITY AND SPECIFIC WEIGHT
are as follows; m1 is 500g, m2 weighs 800g, m3 weighs
15 poundals, m4 weighs 4 lb and m5 is 0.10 slug. What Density (ρ) is defined as mass per unit volume.
is the total mass in kg, lb, and slug.
mass
ρ=
volume
Solution:
for mass 1: ρ=
m
v
1kg
m1 = 500g × *Unit for density is m3 or f t3
kg lb
1000g
The density of a substance, in general, depends on
m1 = 0.5kg temperature and pressure. The density of most gases

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Basic Thermodynamics
Module 3: Basic Principles and Concepts

is proportional to pressure and inversely proportional to m = 640 × 9.425

temperature. Liquids and solids, on the other hand, are
m = 6031.8kg
essentially incompressible substances, and the
variation of their density with pressure is usually c.
negligible. At 20°C, for example, the density of water Fg = mg
changes from 998 m 3 at 1 atm to 1003 m3 at 100 atm, a
kg kg
Fg = 6031.8 × 9.81
change of just 0.5 percent. The density of liquids and
solids depends more strongly on temperature than it Fg = 59, 172N or 6031.8kgf
does on pressure. At 1 atm, for example, the density of d.
water changes from 998 m 3 at 20°C to 975 m3 at 75°C,
kg kg
γ = ρg
a change of 2.3 percent, which can still be neglected in
many engineering analyses. γ = 640 × 9.81
The reciprocal of density is the specific volume v, which N
γ = 6278.4
is defined as volume per unit mass. That is, m3
volume
υ=
mass PRESSURE
V
υ=
m
1 Pressure is defined as a normal force exerted by a fluid
υ=
ρ per unit area. We speak of pressure only when we deal
with a gas or a liquid. The counterpart of pressure in
*Unit for specific volume is m3
or f t3 solids is normal stress. Since pressure is defined as
kg lbm
force per unit area, it has the unit of newtons per square
meter ( mN
2 ), which is called a pascal (P a).
The weight of a unit volume of a substance is called
specific weight and is expressed as F orce
P =
f orce of gravity Area
γ=
volume F N
P = =1 3
Fg A m
γ= The pressure unit pascal is too small for pressures
v
lb encountered in practice. Therefore, its multiples
*Unit for specific volume is m
N
3 or f t3
f
kilopascal (1kP a = 103 P a) and megapascal
Specific weight and density relationship (1M P a = 106 P a) are commonly used. Three other
pressure units commonly used in practice, especially in
γ = ρg
Europe, are bar, standard atmosphere, and
NOTE: when solving problems using English system of kilogram-force per square centimeter.
units, density should be slug
f t3 kg
Note that the pressure units bar, atm, and cmf2 are
almost equivalent to each other. In the English system,
Example 3 lb
the pressure unit is pound-force per square inch inf2 , or
A cylindrical drum (2m × 3m) is filled with a fluid whose kg
psi), and 1 atm = 14.696 psi. The pressure units cmf2 and
density is 640 m
kg
3 . Determine (a) volume of the fluid in
lbf kgf lbf
m , (b)mass of the fluid in kg, (c) weight of the fluid, in2 are also denoted by cm2 and in2 , respectively, and
3

N andkgf , (d)specific weight of the fluid m N

3
they are commonly used in tire gages. It can be shown
kg
that 1 cmf2 = 14.223psi.
Solution:
a.
π
V = PRESSURE MEASURING DEVICES
4D2 h
π
V = 1. Barometer - use to measure the atmospheric
4 × 22 × 3
pressure.
V = 9.425m3
At sea level:
b. Patm = 101.325 kPa = 14.7 psi
m = ρV Patm = 760 mmHg = 29.92 inHg

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Basic Thermodynamics
Module 3: Basic Principles and Concepts

2. Manometer - this give a reading as a function of

the depth of the liquid column. ACTIVITY
ex. 10 inches of water, 10 cm of water
HOMEWORK/QUIZ
3. Bourdon Pressure Gage - this gives a reading DEADLINE THURSDAY 11 AM
wherein the dial is being actuated by a mechanism Solve the following problems on a separate sheet of
due to the exerted pressure. The reading is a paper.
function of the pressure exerted. ALWAYS BOX YOUR FINAL ANSWERS.
ex. 10 psi gage, 20 bar gage, 300 kPa gage
1. A power plant that separates carbon dioxide from
All pressure readings determined by the pressure the exhaust gases compresses it to a density of
measuring devices are called gage pressure, Pg 110 kg/m3 and stores it in an unminable coal seam
with a porous volume of 100 000 m3 . Find the
Gage Pressure,Pg - is the pressure difference between mass that can be stored.
the system’s absolute pressure and surrounding
absolute pressure where the device is located. 2. A 5-m3 container is filled with 900 kg of granite
(density of 2400 m kg
3 ). The rest of the volume is air,

with density equal to 1.15 kg/m3. Find the mass of

absolute pressure = atmospheric pressure ± gage air and the overall (average) specific volume.
pressure
3. The hydraulic lift in an auto repair shop has a
cylinder diameter of 0.2 m. To what pressure
should the hydraulic fluid be pumped to lift 40 kg of
Pabs = Patm + Pgage
piston/ arms and 700 kg of a car?

*Use negative (-) if it involves vacuum or negative 4. A barometer to measure absolute pressure shows
reading relative to atmospheric pressure. a mercury column height of 725 mm. The
temperature is such that the density of the mercury
is 13 550 m
kg
3 . Find the ambient pressure.
Example 4
A Bourdon pressure gage gives a reading of 100 psig. 5. An absolute pressure gauge attached to a steel
Atmospheric pressure is about 15 psia. Determine the cylinder shows 135 kPa. We want to attach a
absolute pressure in Psia, kPa. manometer using liquid water on a day that Patm =
101 kPa. How high a fluid level difference must we
plan for?
Pabs = Patm + Pgage
Pabs = 15 + 100
Pabs = 115psia
SUMMARY
101.325kP a
Pabs = 115psi × ( )
14.7psi
Pabs = 792.67kP a • To summarize this module, density is mass per
unit volume, and the reciprocal of specific volume
is volume per unit mass.
Example 5
A vacuum gage mounted on a condenser reads 660 • The normal force exerted by a fluid per unit area is
mm HG. What is the absolute pressure in the condenser called pressure, and its unit is the pascal, 1 Pa = 1
in kPa when the atmospheric pressure is 101.325 kPa.
m2 . The pressure relative to absolute vacuum is
N

101.325kP a called the absolute pressure, and the difference

Pg = 660mmHg × ( ) between the absolute pressure and the local
760mmHg
atmospheric pressure is called the gage pressure.
Pg = 87.99kP a Pressures below atmospheric pressure are called
vacuum pressures.

Pabs = 101.325kP a − 87.99kP a

Pabs = 13.34kP a

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Basic Thermodynamics
Module 3: Basic Principles and Concepts

REFERENCES

References

[1] Cengel, Y.A. and Boles Thermodynamics: An Engi-

neering Approach, 5th edition.The McGraw-Hill Com-
panies, Inc.(2004)
[2] Sonntag, Borgnakke, Van Wylen Fundamentals of
Thermodyamics, 6th edition.The McGraw-Hill Compa-
nies, Inc.(2003)

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