Question

A Carnot engine operates in a Carnot cycle between a heat source at 550°C and a heat sink at 20°C. Find the efficiency of the Carnot engine.

a) 40%
b) 50%
c) 60%
d) 70%

Answer 1

The efficiency of the Carnot engine operating between a heat source at 550°C and a heat sink at 20°C is 96.36%

Step-by-step explanation:

The efficiency of a Carnot engine can be calculated using the formula:

Efficiency = 1 - (TC/TH)

Where:

Given that the temperature of the cold reservoir is 20°C and the temperature of the hot reservoir is 550°C, we can substitute these values into the formula:

Efficiency = 1 - (20/550) = 1 - (2/55) = 1 - 0.0364 = 0.9636

This can be converted to a percentage by multiplying by 100:

Efficiency = 0.9636 x 100 = 96.36%