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Difference between Heat and Temperature

Heat and temperature are closely related concepts but they play different roles in heating and cooling processes. Let’s find out the difference between heat and temperature. Heat added increases the temperature, and heat removed decreases the temperature – heat, and temperature are not the same.

Calorimetry Numericals class 10

In this post and its supporting posts, we will solve a set of Calorimetry Numericals for class 10. The problems are taken from Selina’s ICSE Class 10 Physics book. The solution link after each problem will lead you to the solution to the problem in a new tab of your browser.

Electronic thermometers & their functional principles

Many thermometers today are electronic. Let’s see how different types of electronic thermometers are made and what are their working principles. 1 ) Most contain a tiny bead of a semiconducting material whose resistance varies with temperature. The bead is called a thermistor, or thermal resistor. 2 ) Others contain a tiny semiconducting diode. The […]

How kinetic theory of gases explains the gas laws?

The kinetic theory can explain the behavior of gases. The kinetic theory of gases explains the gas laws, as well. Here, we will study a few of such explanations. a) How kinetic theory of gases explains the Cause of gas pressure? All the molecules in a gas are in rapid random motion, with a wide […]

Gas constants and their relationships

Gas Constants & their values The Avogadro constant (NA) = 6.02 × 1023 particles per mole The molar gas constant or universal gas constant (R) = 8.31 J mol−1 K−1 The Boltzmann constant (kb) = 1.38 × 10−23 J K−1 Gas constants and their relationships For an ideal gas of n moles and N molecules:number […]

Describing phase change in terms of molecular behaviour

In this post, we will describe the change of state (phase change) in terms of molecular behavior. When solids that do not melt are heated, the thermal energy supplied overcomes some intermolecular forces and therefore increases some molecular potential energies. But most of the thermal energy supplied increases the average kinetic energy of the molecules […]

Thermodynamics – Formula bank

In this post, we present 30 formulas from the Thermodynamics chapter (class 11 physics). This formula bank is going to help you to find the formulas in a single place. formulas from Thermodynamics

Change of state – some keywords & definitions

In this post, we defined some keywords related to ‘change of state’ or Phase change. These words include terms like critical point, triple point, etc. The three states of matter that you have considered are solid, liquid, and gas. Each of these states of matter can be considered as a phase. A phase change occurs […]

Latent heat and specific latent heat – definitions & concepts

In this post, we will discuss the fundamentals of latent heat and specific latent heat. latent heat – definition Latent heat is the amount of energy released or absorbed by a substance during a change of state that occurs without a change in temperature. The amount of energy associated with the phase change is called […]

Internal Energy of a System – revision notes

On the basis of the kinetic theory of matter, we can discuss the concept of internal energy as the sum of the energies of individual components/constituents. This includes kinetic energy due to their random motion and their potential energy due to interactions amongst them. Let us now discuss these. Internal energy is the sum of […]

Carnot cycle processes of Carnot engine

The Carnot cycle represents the cycle of processes for a theoretical heat engine with the maximum possible efficiency. Such an idealized engine is called a Carnot engine. Here in this post, we present a brief idea of the Carnot cycle processes, Carnot engine efficiency, and also we solve here a numerical problem related to the […]

How do refrigerators and air conditioners work? | work and heat flow

In this post, we will briefly discuss (1) how refrigerators work, & (2) How Air conditioners work. Work and Heat flow diagram of refrigerator and air-conditioner is also presented here. How do Refrigerators work – in brief Here are the steps followed in a refrigerator Refrigerators work by causing the refrigerant circulating inside them to […]

The Carnot Engine

In this post, we will discuss the concepts of the Carnot engine. We will also cover subtopics like Assumptions made for the Carnot engine, the existence of the Carnot engine(if possible?), Laws of Thermodynamics & the Carnot Engine, Efficiency & temperature, etc. During the early 19th century maximizing the efficiency of the heat engine was an […]

What is the third law of thermodynamics?

What is the third law of thermodynamics?The third law of thermodynamics states that absolute zero, the lowest possible temperature, can never be reached. The entropy of a system is zero at absolute zero. A procedure can remove a portion of the entropy, but not all of it. Thus it would take an infinite number of […]

Heat Engines

This post talks of an important topic of the Thermodynamics chapter of Physics. We talk here about Heat Engines, their definition, examples of heat engines, internal combustion engines, internal combustion process, formulas and diagrams of heat engine, efficiency formulas of heat engines, etc. Heat Engine – definition Any device that uses heat (thermal) energy to […]

The Second Law of Thermodynamics & Entropy

To understand the Second Law of Thermodynamics it’s essential to understand the concept of Entropy. Once we get an idea of entropy with an example, we will discuss 3 different forms or statements of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. [Readers also viewed these: zeroth law of thermodynamics andfirst law of thermodynamics ] Entropy or disorder […]

P–V diagram & calculation of work done

In this post, we will discuss how the P-V diagram can help us to calculate the work done by a system or on a system. We will derive the equation of work done in terms of pressure and volume. We will solve a few numerical problems as well based on P-V diagrams. Setup to get […]

Conduction of Heat – study notes

Conduction is a mode of transmission of heat where heat flows from the hot end to the cold end and particles of the medium simply oscillate but do not leave their place. Conduction of Heat has the following characteristics: Medium is necessary for conduction. It is a slow process. The path of heat flow may […]

Numerical problems on the first law of thermodynamics

In this post, we will solve a few numerical problems using the First Law of Thermodynamics. Numerical problems on first law of thermodynamics Question number 1) Complete the values in Table 1 (all values are in kJ). Note that: W = 6 kJ is the work done on the system. Solution: As per the data […]

Thermodynamic energy model & First law of thermodynamics

In this post, we will draw the Thermodynamic energy model to relate heat in, work done on the system, heat out, and work done by the system. Before that, we will discuss the example of a bike pump and mention the First law of thermodynamics. Heating up a Bike pump by increasing its internal energy […]

Specific latent heat of vaporization – revision notes

Latent heat is needed to change a liquid into a vapour (during vaporization). Let’s discuss on Specific latent heat of vaporization in detail. role of latent heat of vaporization If liquid molecules are to overcome the forces holding them together and gain the freedom to move around independently as gas molecules, they need a large […]

Specific latent heat of fusion – REVISION NOTES

The specific latent heat of fusion (lf) of a substance is the quantity of heat needed to change the unit mass of it from solid to liquid without temperature change. role of latent heat of fusion The kinetic theory explains latent heat of fusion as being the energy that enables the molecules of a solid […]

What is a Bimetallic strip & what are its uses?

If equal lengths of two different metals, such as copper and iron, are riveted together so that they cannot move separately, they form a bimetallic strip (Figure 1). When heated, copper expands more than iron, and to allow this the strip bends with copper on the outside (Figure 2). If they had expanded equally, the […]

Temperature scales and absolute temperature

The temperature scales that we use today were designed for simplicity and easy reproduction. The Celsius temperature scale is used throughout the world and is a good example of how the effective communication of data between individuals and countries is dependent on an agreed system of units. For historical and cultural reasons, there a few […]

How to explain the anomalous expansion of water in simple words?

In the case of fluids, with the rise of temperature, the volume increases. Therefore, the density decreases. But, water expansion shows an anomalous behavior for a specific temperature zone. As we explain this behavior we will get to know why water has its maximum density (and hence minimum volume) at 4°C. Heating of water: Water […]

First Law of Thermodynamics – so easy to understand?

Here in this post, we will cover the first law of thermodynamics. It basically talks about the effects of heat transfer in terms of internal energy and work done. As this law is based on the concept of internal energy, we will briefly cover this before stating the 1st law of thermodynamics. Internal Energy – […]

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