A heat engine operating between a pair of hot and cold reservoirs with respective temperatures of 400 K and 200 K will have what maximum efficiency?
A)50%.
B)50%
C)40%
D)45%
E)25%

Question

A heat engine operating between a pair of hot and cold reservoirs with respective temperatures of 400 K and 200 K will have what maximum efficiency?​
A)50%.
B)50%
C)40%
D)45%
E)25%

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The maximum efficiency of a heat engine is given by the Carnot efficiency, which is:η_C = 1 - T_C / T_Hwhere T_C is the temperature of the cold reservoir and T_H is the temperature of the hot reservoir.In this case, T_C = 200 K and T_H = 400 K, so the maximum efficiency is:η_C = 1 - 200 K / 400 K = 0.5 = 50%Therefore, the correct answer is A.

A Heat Engine Operating Between a Pair of Hot and Cold