A Heat Engine: Relating Work to the P-V Cycle

Introduction

You have been studying your textbook carefully and are trying to understand how the work done by a heat engine can be related to changes in the pressure, P, and volume, V, of its working substance. In particular you would like to relate the work it takes to lift a mass to the area enclosed by a P-V diagram that describes what happens the engine's air — its working substance.

Objectives

In this activity, you will

• Explore how the work done by an engine that raises a mass during each of its cycles is related to the area enclosed by its P-V graph.