How can energy transfers and energy storage within a system be analysed?
How can the future evolution of a system be determined?
In what way is entropy fundamental to the evolution of the universe?
What are the consequences of the second law of thermodynamics to the universe as a whole?
Why is there an upper limit on the efficiency of any energy source or engine?
How are efficiency considerations important in motors and generators?
What paradigm shifts enabling change to human society, such as harnessing the power of steam, can be
attributed to advancements in physics understanding? (NOS)
that the first law of thermodynamics as given by Q = ΔU + W results from the application of conservation of energy to a closed system and relates the internal energy of a system to the transfer of energy as heat and as work
that the work done by or on a closed system as given by W = PΔV when its boundaries are changed can be described in terms of pressure and changes of volume of the system
that the change in internal energy as given by ΔU(3/2)NkΔT or ΔU =(3/2)RnΔT of a system is related to the change of its temperature
that entropy S is a thermodynamic quantity that relates to the degree of disorder of the particles in a system
that entropy can be determined in terms of macroscopic quantities such as thermal energy and temperature as given by ΔS =ΔQ/T and also in terms of the properties of individual particles of the system as given by S = kB ln Ω where kB is the Boltzmann constant and Ω is the number of possible microstates of the system
that the second law of thermodynamics refers to the change in entropy of an isolated system and sets constraints on possible physical processes and on the overall evolution of the system
that processes in real isolated systems are almost always irreversible and consequently the entropy of a real isolated system always increases
that the entropy of a non-isolated system can decrease locally, but this is compensated by an equal or greater increase of the entropy of the surroundings
that isovolumetric, isobaric, isothermal and adiabatic processes are obtained by keeping one variable fixed
that adiabatic processes in monatomic ideal gases can be modelled by the equation as given by PV(5/3) = constant
that cyclic gas processes are used to run heat engines
that a heat engine can respond to different cycles and is characterized by its efficiency as given by η = useful work/input energy
that the Carnot cycle sets a limit for the efficiency of a heat engine at the temperatures of its heat reservoirs
