17-Jan-22

Vocabulary of Thermodynamics
and Definitions - 2

Vocabulary of Thermodynamics and Definitions

Quasi-equilibrium (Quasistatic) process

• When a process proceeds in such a manner that the system remains

infinitesimally close to an equilibrium state at all times, it is called a
quasistatic, or quasi-equilibrium, process.

• A quasi-equilibrium process can be viewed as a sufficiently slow process

that allows the system to adjust itself internally so that properties in one
part of the system do not change any faster than those at other parts.

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Vocabulary of Thermodynamics and Definitions

Quasi-equilibrium (Quasistatic) process

• It should be pointed out that a quasi-equilibrium process is an idealized

process and is not a true representation of an actual process.

• But many actual processes closely approximate it, and they can be
modeled as quasi-equilibrium with negligible error.

• Engineers are interested in quasi-equilibrium processes for two reasons.

Vocabulary of Thermodynamics and Definitions

Quasi-equilibrium (Quasistatic) process

• First, they are easy to analyze;

• Second, work-producing devices deliver the most work when they operate
on quasi-equilibrium processes.

• Therefore, quasi-equilibrium processes serve as standards to which actual

processes can be compared.

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Vocabulary of Thermodynamics and Definitions

Vocabulary of Thermodynamics and Definitions

• The prefix iso- is often used to designate a process for which a particular
property remains constant.

• An isothermal process, for example, is a process during which the

temperature T remains constant;

• An isobaric process is a process during which the pressure P remains

constant;

• An isochoric (or isometric) process is a process during which the specific

volume v remains constant.

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Temperature
• Temperature can be defined as a measure of “hotness” or
“coldness,”.

• When a body is brought into contact with another body that is at a

different temperature, heat is transferred from the body at higher
temperature to the one at lower temperature until both bodies
attain the same temperature.

• At that point, the heat transfer stops, and the two bodies are said to
have reached thermal equilibrium.
• The equality of temperature is the only requirement for thermal
equilibrium.

Temperature

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Temperature
• The zeroth law of thermodynamics states that if two bodies are in
thermal equilibrium with a third body, they are also in thermal
equilibrium with each other.

Temperature
Temperature Scales

• In thermodynamics, it is very desirable to have a temperature scale that is independent

of the properties of any substance or substances.

• Such a temperature scale is called a thermodynamic temperature scale, which is

developed later in conjunction with the second law of thermodynamics.

• The thermodynamic temperature scale in the SI is the Kelvin scale.

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Temperature

• During a heating process, the temperature of a system rises by 10°C.

Express this rise in temperature in K and °F.

Pressure
• Pressure is defined as a normal force exerted by a fluid per unit area.
We speak of pressure only when we deal with a gas or a liquid.

• The counterpart of pressure in solids is normal stress.

• Since pressure is defined as force per unit area, it has the unit of
newtons per square meter (N/m²), which is called a pascal (Pa).

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Pressure

In the English system, the pressure unit is pound-force per square inch
(lbf/in2, or psi), and 1 atm = 14.696 psi.

Pressure
• The actual pressure at a given position is called the absolute pressure, and
it is measured relative to absolute vacuum (i.e., absolute zero pressure).
• Most pressure-measuring devices, are calibrated to read zero in the
atmosphere and so they indicate the difference between the absolute
pressure and the local atmospheric pressure.
• This difference is called the gage pressure.
• Pressures below atmospheric pressure are called vacuum pressures and
are measured by vacuum gages that indicate the difference between the
atmospheric pressure and the absolute pressure.

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Pressure

Pressure
Variation of Pressure with Depth

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Pressure
The Manometer

• A manometer mainly consists of a glass or plastic

U-tube containing one or more fluids such as
mercury, water, alcohol, or oil.

• To keep the size of the manometer to a

manageable level, heavy fluids such as mercury
are used if large pressure differences are
anticipated.

Pressure
Barometer and Atmospheric Pressure

Atmospheric pressure is measured by a device called a barometer; thus, the

atmospheric pressure is often referred to as the barometric pressure.

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Pressure
1. The reading of a manometer attached to a tank and the
atmospheric pressure are given. The absolute pressure in the tank is
to be determined.

Pressure
2. The piston of a vertical piston–cylinder device containing
a gas has a mass of 60 kg and a cross-sectional area of 0.04
m2, as shown in Fig. The local atmospheric pressure is 0.97
bar, and the gravitational acceleration is 9.81 m/s2.
(a) Determine the pressure inside the cylinder.

(b) If some heat is transferred to the gas and its volume is

doubled, do you expect the pressure inside the cylinder to
change?

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