Some Study Questions for the First Midterm
- What is the relation between pressure and
temperature at constant volume? Qualitatively explain
why this relation exists.
- What are some of the things that temperature is a
measure of?
- There are two isolated chambers. In chamber 1 there
are 100 particles at temperature of 100K. In chamber 2
there are 200 particles at temperature 200K. If the
chambers are mixed, what will the equilibrium temperature
be?
- Qualitatively explain why heat flows from hot to
cold regions, ALWAYS!
- Give a brief definition of Energy
- An ideal gas has an initial pressure of 25 atom and
a Volume of 10 cubic liters. The initial temperature is 300K.
I reduce the volume by a factor of 2 and notice that the
pressure has increased by a factor of 4. What will the
temperature now be?
- Describe an experiment that could be done to approximately
estimate what the value of absolute zero is in units of
degrees Celcius (hint: we did this experiment in class).
- I measure some gas particles in a box to have a mean
particle speed of 2000 meters per second at a temperature of
1000K. I now replace that gas with a new gas and notice that
the MPS has decreased to 500 meters per second at the same
temperature. Give a qualitative explanation for why the MPS
has been reduced.
- Concisely state the Law of Energy Conservation
- Qualitatively explain what happens to the distribution
of particle speeds in a gas as the gas is heated. You need
to say more than the simple fact that the mean particle
speed increases.
- Qualitatively explain the difference betwen convection and
conduction.
- What property of a material makes that material a good
conductor of heat?
- What material properties are required to make some material
a good thermal mass? In nature, what materials meet this
requirement?
- Briefly explain the concept of the specific heat of a
material.
-

Qualitatively
explain the behavior shown in this diagram.
- Qualitatively explain what causes the expansion of materials
(e.g. a metal rod) when it is heated.
- What is the concept of entropy? Give an example of
entropy in action.
- Show that wavelength times frequency is a velocity
-
What harmonic is shown here?
- What is the doppler effect?
- Explain what the difference is between a sound wave and a
light wave.
- Explain why a sound wave can not propogate in a vacuum
- Explain how the concept or resonance pertains to musical
instruments?
- Physically explain why the pitch of Noelle's picollo was
higher than her flute.
Stuff from Stan