In a Carnot engine, what does the efficiency depend on?
Practice Questions
Q1
In a Carnot engine, what does the efficiency depend on?
The temperature of the hot reservoir
The temperature of the cold reservoir
Both temperatures
None of the above
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In a Carnot engine, what does the efficiency depend on?
Step 1: Understand what a Carnot engine is. It is a theoretical engine that operates between two temperature reservoirs.
Step 2: Identify the two reservoirs: the hot reservoir (where the engine gets heat) and the cold reservoir (where the engine releases heat).
Step 3: Know that the efficiency of the Carnot engine is a measure of how well it converts heat into work.
Step 4: Learn the formula for efficiency: Efficiency = 1 - (T_c / T_h), where T_c is the temperature of the cold reservoir and T_h is the temperature of the hot reservoir.
Step 5: Realize that the efficiency increases when the temperature of the hot reservoir (T_h) is higher and/or the temperature of the cold reservoir (T_c) is lower.
