AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

MEEN 208: Basic Engineering Thermodynamics (Second Semester, 2019-2020 Session)

Problems Set - 1
Problem 1: The basic barometer can be used to measure the height of a building. If the barometric
readings at the top and at the bottom of a building are 675 and 695 mmHg, respectively, determine
the height of the building. Take the densities of air and mercury to be 1.18 kg/m3 and 13,600 kg/m3,
respectively.

Problem 2. The piston of a vertical piston–cylinder device containing a gas has a mass of 60 kg
and a cross-sectional area of 0.04 m2, as shown in Fig. P2. The local atmospheric pressure is 0.97
bar, and the gravitational acceleration is 9.81 m/s2. (a) Determine the pressure inside the cylinder.
(b) If some heat is transferred to the gas and its volume is doubled, do you expect the pressure
inside the cylinder to change?

Figure P2

Problem 3. A gas is contained in a vertical, frictionless piston–cylinder device. The piston has a
mass of 3.2 kg and a cross-sectional area of 35 cm2. A compressed spring above the piston exerts
a force of 150 N on the piston. If the atmospheric pressure is 95 kPa, determine the pressure inside
the cylinder.
 Figure P3

Problem 4. Both a gage and a manometer are attached to a gas tank to measure its pressure. If the
reading on the pressure gage is 80 kPa, determine the distance between the two fluid levels of the
manometer if the fluid is (a) mercury (ρ = 13,600 kg/m3) or (b) water (ρ = 1000 kg/m3).

Figure P4

Problem 5. A mercury manometer (ρ = 13,600 kg/m3) is connected to an air duct to measure the
pressure inside. The difference in the manometer levels is 15 mm, and the atmospheric pressure is
100 kPa. (a) Judging from Fig. P5, determine if the pressure in the duct is above or below the
atmospheric pressure. (b) Determine the absolute pressure in the duct.

Figure P5

Problem 6. The pressure in a natural gas pipeline is measured by the manometer shown in Fig. P6
with one of the arms open to the atmosphere where the local atmospheric pressure is 14.2 psia.
Determine the absolute pressure in the pipeline.
 Figure P6

Problem 7. A hydraulic lift is to be used to lift a 2500-kg weight by putting a weight of 25 kg on

Problem 8. Consider the system shown in Fig. P8. If a change of 0.7 kPa in the pressure of air
causes the brine–mercury interface in the right column to drop by 5 mm in the brine level in the
right column while the pressure in the brine pipe remains constant, determine the ratio of A2 /A1.

Figure P8

Problem 9. The gage pressure of the air in the tank shown in Fig. P9 is measured to be 80 kPa.
Determine the differential height h of the mercury column.
 Figure P9

Problem 11. The average atmospheric pressure on earth is approximated as a function of altitude
by the relation Patm = 101.325 (1 − 0.02256z)5.256, where Patm is the atmospheric pressure in kPa
and z is the altitude in km with z = 0 at sea level. Determine the approximate atmospheric pressures
at Atlanta (z = 306 m), Denver (z = 1610 m), Mexico City (z = 2309 m), and the top of Mount
Everest (z = 8848 m).

Problem 12. The weight of bodies may change somewhat from one location to another as a result
of the variation of the gravitational acceleration g with elevation. Accounting for this variation
using the relation g = a − bz where a = 9.807 m/s2 and b = 3.32 × 10−6 s−2, determine the weight
of an 80-kg person at sea level (z = 0), in Denver (z = 1610 m), and on the top of Mount Everest
(z = 8848 m).

Problem 13. The average temperature of the atmosphere in the world is approximated as a function
of altitude by the relation T atm = 288.15 − 6.5z where Tatm is the temperature of the atmosphere in
K and z is the altitude in km with z = 0 at sea level. Determine the average temperature of the
atmosphere outside an airplane that is cruising at an altitude of 12,000 m.

Problem 14. The boiling temperature of water decreases by about 3°C for each 1000-m rise in
altitude. What is the decrease in the boiling temperature in (a) K, (b) °F, and (c) R for each 1000-
m rise in altitude?

Problem 15. A house is losing heat at a rate of 1800 kJ/h per °C temperature difference between
the indoor and the outdoor temperatures. Express the rate of heat loss from this house per (a) K,
(b) °F, and (c) R difference between the indoor and the outdoor temperature

Problem 16: How much work, in kJ, can a spring whose spring constant is 3 kN/cm produce after
it has been compressed 3 cm from its unloaded length?

Problem 17. Determine the torque applied to the shaft of a car that transmits 225 hp and rotates
at a rate of 3000 rpm.
Problem 18. As a spherical ammonia vapor bubble rises in liquid ammonia, its diameter changes
from 1 cm to 3 cm. Calculate the amount of work produced by this bubble, in kJ, if the surface
tension of ammonia is 0.02 N/m.

Problem 19. Consider a river flowing toward a lake at an average velocity of 3 m/s at a rate of
500 m3/s at a location 90 m above the lake surface. Determine the total mechanical energy of the
river water per unit mass and the power generation potential of the entire river at that location.

Figure P4

Problem 20. A damaged 1200-kg car is being towed by a truck. Neglecting the friction, air drag,
and rolling resistance, determine the extra power required (a) for constant velocity on a level road,
(b) for constant velocity of 50 km/h on a 30° (from horizontal) uphill road, and (c) to accelerate
on a level road from stop to 90 km/h in 12 s.