IChO 2003 · Theory problem 29

Pool

A very large swimming pool filled with water of temperature equal to 20 °C is heated by a resistor with a heating power of 500 W for 20 minutes. Assuming the water in the pool is not in any contact with anything besides the resistor, determine:

a) The heat delivered to the water.

b) Is the change of entropy of the resistor positive, negative, or zero?

(i) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{res}} > 0\) ( )

(ii) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{res}} = 0\) ( )

(iii) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{res}} < 0\) ( )

c) Is the change of entropy of the water positive, negative, or zero?

i) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{pool}} > 0\) ( )

(ii) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{pool}} = 0\) ( )

(iii) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{pool}} < 0\) ( )

d) Is the change of entropy of the system positive, negative, or zero?

(i) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{total}} > 0\) ( )

(ii) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{total}} = 0\) ( )

(iii) \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{total}} < 0\) ( )

e) Is the process reversible? (Y) (N)

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • a) \(Q_{\mathrm{water}}=6.0\times10^{5}\ \mathrm{J}=6.0\times10^{2}\ \mathrm{kJ}\).
  • b) Select (ii): \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{res}}=0\), assuming steady operation.
  • c) Select (i): \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{pool}}>0\).
  • d) Select (i): \(\Delta S_{\mathrm{total}}>0\).
  • e) Select N: the process is irreversible.

Solution

a) The heat delivered equals the heating power multiplied by the operating time:

\[ t=20\times60=1200\ \mathrm{s}, \]

\[ Q_{\mathrm{water}}=Pt =(500\ \mathrm{J\,s^{-1}})(1200\ \mathrm{s}) =\boxed{6.0\times10^{5}\ \mathrm{J}}. \]

b) In the intended steady-operation model, the resistor continuously receives electrical work and transfers the resulting energy to the water as heat. Its temperature and thermodynamic state remain constant. Since entropy is a state function,

\[ \boxed{\Delta S_{\mathrm{res}}=0}. \]

This does not mean that no entropy is generated inside the resistor. Joule heating generates entropy, which is continuously transferred to the water with the heat; there is no net accumulation in the resistor.

c) The water receives heat and its entropy increases. Because the pool is very large, its temperature changes negligibly, so it can be treated approximately as a heat reservoir at

\[ T_{\mathrm{pool}}=20+273.15=293.15\ \mathrm{K}. \]

Evaluating the entropy change using a reversible heat-transfer path between the same states gives

\[ \Delta S_{\mathrm{pool}}\approx\frac{Q_{\mathrm{water}}}{T_{\mathrm{pool}}} =\frac{6.0\times10^{5}\ \mathrm{J}}{293.15\ \mathrm{K}} \approx2.0\times10^{3}\ \mathrm{J\,K^{-1}}>0. \]

Thus,

\[ \boxed{\Delta S_{\mathrm{pool}}>0}. \]

A small actual temperature rise would change the numerical approximation, but not the positive sign.

d) Taking the system to consist of the resistor and the pool,

\[ \Delta S_{\mathrm{total}} =\Delta S_{\mathrm{res}}+\Delta S_{\mathrm{pool}} =0+\Delta S_{\mathrm{pool}}>0. \]

Therefore,

\[ \boxed{\Delta S_{\mathrm{total}}>0}. \]

Electrical work supplies energy without transferring entropy. The increase in total entropy results from irreversible dissipation.

e) A reversible process generates no entropy. Here electrical energy is dissipated by Joule heating, producing a positive total entropy change. Therefore, the process is irreversible, and N must be selected.

The solution was checked against the official solution.