A Carnot engine operates between a high temperature reservoir at 435 K and a river with water at 280 K. If it absorbs 3700 J of heat each cycle, how much work per cycle does it perform?
A) 1318 J
B) 2382 J
C) 1449 J
D) 2251 J

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The efficiency of a Carnot engine is given by:$$e=1-\frac{T_c}{T_h}$$where $T_c$ is the temperature of the cold reservoir and $T_h$ is the temperature of the hot reservoir.In this case, $T_c=280$ K and $T_h=435$ K, so:$$e=1-\frac{280}{435}=0.356$$The work done per cycle is given by:$$W=eQ_h$$where $Q_h$ is the heat absorbed per cycle.In this case, $Q_h=3700$ J, so:$$W=0.356	imes3700	ext{ J}=1318	ext{ J}$$Therefore, the correct answer is A.

A Carnot Engine Operates Between a High Temperature Reservoir at 435