Topics Overview: temperature and internal energy, thermal energy transfer, specific and latent heat, energy density, Sankey diagrams, ideal gas laws and gas pressure (all students); 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics, adiabatic processes, heat engine cycles (HL only).
Detailed list of IB syllabus understandings and related guiding questions
Suggested Future Physics Contexts: alternative energy thermal power plants (e.g. geothermal, biomass, solar thermal-electric), including boiling and condensation, energy density and efficiency calculations, temperature, pressure and volume changes in gas turbines, hypothetical heat engine cycle efficiency calculations for ocean thermal energy conversion plants (HL).
Skills in the study of physics to be explicitly taught: understand how to accurately measure temperature to an appropriate level of precision. Appreciate when and how to maintain constant environmental conditions of systems and insulate against heat loss or gain.
Possible labs/activities to facilitate development of skills: measuring specific heat capacity and specific latent heats, verifying one or more ideal gas laws, conduction simulation or spreadsheet model.
HL: implementing a Stirling or other heat engine cycle (for example with piston cylinders and hot and cold baths).
Linking questions that can be answered during this unit:
How does a consideration of the kinetic energy of molecules relate to the development of the gas laws?
How can gas particles of high kinetic energy be used to perform work?
How does the concept of force and momentum link mechanics and thermodynamics?
What assumptions about the forces between molecules of gas allow for ideal gas behaviour?
What are the consequences of the second law of thermodynamics to the universe as a whole? (HL)
Why is there an upper limit on the efficiency of any energy source or engine? (HL)