Why is the following situation impossible? An inventor comes to a patent office with the claim that her heat engine, which employs water as a working substance, has a thermodynamic efficiency of 0.110. Although this efficiency is low compared with typical automobile engines, she explains that her engine operates between an energy reservoir at room temperature and a water–ice mixture at atmospheric pressure and therefore requires no fuel other than that to make the ice. The patent is approved, and working prototypes of the engine prove the inventor’s efficiency claim.

Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based Text
5th Edition
ISBN:9781133104261
Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Chapter18: Heat Engines, Entropy, And The Second Law Of Thermodynamics
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 12P
icon
Related questions
Question

Why is the following situation impossible? An inventor comes to a patent office with the claim that her heat engine, which employs water as a working substance, has a thermodynamic efficiency of 0.110. Although this efficiency is low compared with typical automobile engines, she explains that her engine operates between an energy reservoir at room temperature and a water–ice mixture at atmospheric pressure and therefore requires no fuel other than that to make the ice. The patent is approved, and working prototypes of the engine prove the inventor’s efficiency claim.

Expert Solution
trending now

Trending now

This is a popular solution!

steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps with 2 images

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Second law of thermodynamics
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
Recommended textbooks for you
Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based Text
Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based Text
Physics
ISBN:
9781133104261
Author:
Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations…
Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations…
Physics
ISBN:
9781133939146
Author:
Katz, Debora M.
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Physics for Scientists and Engineers
Physics for Scientists and Engineers
Physics
ISBN:
9781337553278
Author:
Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern …
Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern …
Physics
ISBN:
9781337553292
Author:
Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Technology …
Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Technology …
Physics
ISBN:
9781305116399
Author:
Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:
Cengage Learning