Level 8: Thermodynamics

Heat and matter · level 8 of 8 · rough age 17 and beyond (a guide for parents; anyone can start anywhere)

The last level is the laws behind every engine, fridge and climate. You meet the first law, the energy balance of a gas, and the second law, which says which way heat can flow and introduces entropy. You use them on heat pumps for a Mars home and on engine cycles, then turn to the planet itself: why Mars's carbon dioxide air warms it so little, and what drives its seasons.

Lesson	You will be able to
The first law	Use \(\Delta U = Q - W\), and the work \(p\Delta V\) a gas does
The second law	Use \(\Delta S = Q/T\) to show which way heat flows
Heat pumps	Find the best possible COP of a heat pump on Mars and on Earth
Engines and cycles	Find the work of a cycle as the area on a \(p\)–\(V\) diagram
The greenhouse effect on Mars	Find a planet's black-body temperature, and the warming its air adds
The climate of Mars	Explain Mars's seasons, its carbon dioxide cycle and its dust storms

Previous: Level 7: Insulating a home · Heat and matter topic page · The companion level: Energy and power, level 8