What is described as the single feature that defines the Carnot cycle and sets it apart from other cyclical processes?
AIt uses only isobaric and isochoric processes
BIt requires the highest possible operating pressure
CIt runs faster than any other kind of heat engine cycle
DIt uses only reversible processes, both isothermal and adiabatic
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. It uses only reversible processes, both isothermal and adiabatic
1. It is stated plainly that what defines the Carnot cycle is its exclusive use of reversible processes.
2. It further specifies that the cycle comprises two isothermal and two adiabatic processes, both of which are reversible in principle.
3. Isobaric and isochoric processes belong to the Otto cycle described earlier, not to the Carnot cycle, ruling out option A.
4. Neither operating pressure nor speed of operation is what defines this cycle; in fact, a Carnot engine is described elsewhere as having zero power, ruling out options B and C.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 15 "Thermodynamics", section 15.4 Carnot's Perfect Heat Engine: The Second Law of Thermodynamics Restated_
Related questions
A perfect crystal at 0 K has W equal to 1, which makes its entropy:Boltzmann's model related the entropy of a system to which quantity?An endothermic process that involves an increase in system entropy is spontaneous when temA process whose enthalpy and entropy changes share the same arithmetic sign will show:At minus 10.00 degrees Celsius the entropy change of the universe for melting is negative,Melting is described as spontaneous at 10.00 degrees Celsius because at that temperature:Free energy is described as the energy available to do useful work, being the difference bBesides indicating spontaneity, the free energy change gives information about the amount