Specific Heats and Ideal Gas Model Overview

Specific Heat Capacity

Heat required to raise temperature per unit mass.

Specific Heat at Constant Volume (cv)

Heat capacity when volume remains constant.

Specific Heat at Constant Pressure (cp)

Heat capacity when pressure remains constant.

Specific Heat Ratio (k)

Ratio of specific heats: cp/cv.

Incompressible Substance

Substances with constant density under pressure.

Compressibility Factor (Z)

Ratio of actual gas volume to ideal gas volume.

Reduced Pressure (pR)

Dimensionless pressure: p/pc.

Reduced Temperature (TR)

Dimensionless temperature: T/Tc.

Ideal Gas Model

Model assuming no intermolecular forces.

Thermally Perfect Gas

Gas with u and h as functions of T only.

Polytropic Process

Process following pV^n = constant relation.

Isobaric Process

Process with constant pressure (n=0).

Isometric Process

Process with constant volume (n→∞).

Calorically Perfect Gas

Gas with constant specific heats.

Internal Energy (u)

Energy contained within a system.

Enthalpy (h)

Total heat content of a system.

Mean Specific Heat

Average specific heat over a temperature range.

Van der Waals Equation

Equation for non-ideal gas behavior.

Saturated Liquid States

States at which liquid and vapor coexist.

Compressibility Chart

Graphical representation of gas behavior deviations.

SI Units for Specific Heats

kJ/kg·K for cv and cp.

EE Units for Specific Heats

Btu/lb·°F for cv and cp.

Kinetic Theory of Gases

Theory explaining gas properties based on molecular motion.

Integration of Specific Heats

Calculating energy changes using specific heat values.

Energy Balance

Accounting for energy changes in a system.

Table A-20

Values of cp, cv, and k for ideal gases.

Table A-24

Numerical values for van der Waals constants.

Ideal Gas State Equation

pV = nRT, relating pressure, volume, and temperature.