Question

A Carnot device operates between a cold reservoir of temperature -50°C and a hot reservoir of temperature 210°C.

If the device operates as a heat engine, what is its efficiency?
eff=_____

Answer 1

The efficiency of a Carnot engine operating between a cold reservoir temperature of -50°C and a hot reservoir temperature of 210°C is 53.83%.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the efficiency of a Carnot engine, you must first convert the temperatures of the hot and cold reservoirs to kelvins. In this case, the temperatures are -50°C (cold) and 210°C (hot), which convert to 223 K and 483 K respectively. The efficiency (η) of a Carnot engine is given by η = 1 - (Tc/Th), where Tc is the temperature of the cold reservoir and Th is the temperature of the hot reservoir.

Plugging the values into the formula, we get:

η = 1 - (223 K / 483 K)

η = 1 - 0.4617

η = 0.5383 or 53.83%

Therefore, the efficiency of a Carnot engine operating between these temperatures is 53.83%.