Answer to Question #304003 in General Chemistry for Jas

Question

If the frequencies of piston oscillation of two different steam engines are f1 and f2. If all other parameters remain same for them except the frequency, which engine is expected to do more work for the condition f1>f2. Justify your answer from the point of thermodynamics.   

Answer 1

Thermodynamics deals with the relationship between heat, work, temperature and energy.

When a piston is making more oscillations per unit time ( higher frequency ), then its rate of doing work ( power output) is higher.

Therefore the piston with frequency $f_1$ Will do more work compared to the one with frequency $f_2$