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An ideal reversible heat engine has _.

Correct answer: A. 100% efficiency

  • A. 100% efficiency
  • B. Highest efficiency
  • C. An efficiency which depends on the nature of substance
  • D. None of these options are correct

Explanation

The statement "An ideal reversible heat engine has 100 percent efficiency" aligns with the principles of the Carnot heat engine, an idealized model in thermodynamics. The Carnot engine, operating under reversible conditions and employing isothermal processes, sets the upper limit for the efficiency of any heat engine between two temperature reservoirs. As the temperature of the cold reservoir approaches absolute zero, the Carnot efficiency approaches 100 percent. However, achieving perfect efficiency in practical heat engines is unattainable due to real-world constraints such as friction, heat dissipation, and irreversibilities, as dictated by the second law of thermodynamics. Despite this, the concept of the Carnot engine serves as a theoretical benchmark for the maximum efficiency achievable in a heat engine.

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About First Law of Thermodynamics

The first law relates heat supplied, work done and the change in internal energy through energy conservation. Problems use sign conventions and apply the law to isothermal, adiabatic, isobaric and isochoric processes. Internal energy is a state function, while heat and work depend on the path followed.

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