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11th grade The laws of thermodynamics and heat engines worksheet

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The laws of thermodynamics and heat engines

Grade 11 Science Worksheet

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Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. A gas in a model engine's cylinder takes in 200 J of heat and does 250 J of work pushing a piston. What is the change in its internal energy, Bo?

  2. A gas in a model engine's cylinder takes in 150 J of heat and does 60 J of work pushing a piston. What is the change in its internal energy, Esme?

  3. Read this first

    Engine tests (example data)

    EngineHeat in (J)Work out (J)
    toy Stirling engine20020
    model steam engine50040
    car engine1000250
  4. Using the table, which engine is the most efficient, Jun?

    • The model steam engine, since it does more work than the Stirling
    • The car engine, at 25%
    • The toy Stirling engine, since it is simplest
  5. Using the table, how much heat does the car engine give out as waste, Kira?

    • 750 J
    • 1250 J
    • 250 J
  6. Using the table, what is the toy Stirling engine's efficiency, Luz?

    • 10%
    • 20%
    • 90%
  7. In ΔU = Q − W, what does a positive W mean, Milo?

    • Work is done on the gas
    • The gas does work on its surroundings
    • Heat flows into the gas
  8. A piston squeezes a gas, doing work on it, with no heat flow. What happens to the gas's internal energy, Noah?

    • It rises
    • It stays the same, since no heat flows
    • It falls
  9. A gas takes in 100 J of heat and does 100 J of work. What is the change in its internal energy, Pia?

    • 0 J
    • 100 J, since the heat counts and the work doesn't
    • 200 J
  10. A cup of hot cocoa sits in a cool room. What happens by itself, Ren?

    • The cocoa warms up by taking heat from the room
    • Nothing, since both hold energy
    • The cocoa cools toward room temperature
  11. A refrigerator moves heat from its cold inside out into the warmer room. What does that need, Tala?

    • Nothing, since heat flows that way by itself
    • Work, from its electric motor
    • A colder room
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11th grade The laws of thermodynamics and heat engines worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

The laws of thermodynamics and heat engines. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can use the first law, ΔU = Q − W (Q is heat into the gas, W is work done by it), and find work out = heat in − heat to the cold side.
  • I can state the second law: heat flows by itself from hot to cold, a refrigerator needs work, and no engine turns all its heat into work.
  • I can find efficiency from a table and the Carnot limit, 1 − Tc ÷ Th, with temperatures in kelvins only.
  • I can explain why a toy Stirling engine needs a temperature difference, and why real engines fall below the Carnot limit.

Standard: supports HS-PS3-4

Words to know

internal energy (U): The total particle energy inside a system

heat engine: A device that turns some heat flowing from hot to cold into work

hot side / cold side: Where the engine takes heat in / gives heat out

Carnot limit: The highest possible efficiency between two temperatures: 1 − Tc ÷ Th

Stirling engine: An engine that runs on a temperature difference, like a cup of hot water

Common mistakes

Your child added the heats. The work is the heat taken in minus the heat given out.

Your child added the work. Work done by the gas takes energy out, so ΔU = Q − W.

Your child counted heat alone. Internal energy changes with heat and with work: ΔU = Q − W.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with the laws of thermodynamics and heat engines?

Your child added the heats. The work is the heat taken in minus the heat given out.

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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