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EOS 433 > Thermodynamics > Flashcards

Thermodynamics Flashcards

(53 cards)

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1
Q

What is thermodynamics?

A

Study of laws that govern: conversion of energy from one form to another, direction heat will flow, availability of energy to do work

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2
Q

Molecular Mass

A

Mass of a molecule

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3
Q

Ideal Gas Law

A

Relates pressure, density, and temperature

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4
Q

Gas Constant

A

Constant relating variables in ideal gas law; depends on the molar mass

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5
Q

Ways to quantify the concentration of an atmospheric gas

A

Mass mixing ratio, volume mixing ratio, number density

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6
Q

Mass Mixing Ratio

A

Percentage of a particular gas in the total composition of a sample of gas

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7
Q

Partial Pressure

A

Pressure that would be exerted by the molecules of a particular gas from a sample if they were alone in the volume at a certain temperature

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8
Q

Partial Volume

A

The volume that would be occupied by the molecules of a gas from a sample if they were alone at a pressure and temperature

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9
Q

What is Dalton’s Law?

A

In a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure and volume is the sum of the partial pressures/volumes

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10
Q

Volume Mixing Ratio

A

The relative amount of a particular gas in a gas sample

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11
Q

Number density

A

The number of molecules of a gas per unit volume

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12
Q

Most significant contributors to composition of gases in the atmosphere?

A

Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), Argon (1%)

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13
Q

What is hydrostatic balance?

A

The equilibrium between the gravitational force and pressure force on an air parcel. Relates pressure and altitude

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14
Q

Lapse Rate

A

Rate of decrease of temperature with height

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15
Q

Hypsometric equation

A

Gives the thickness of an atmospheric layer bound by two pressure levels with constant temperature (or mean temperature)

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16
Q

First law of thermodynamics

A

dU=dQ+dW, conservation of energy

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17
Q

Work

A

Force exerting over a distance (positive when force does work ON a system - internal energy increases)

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18
Q

Entropy

A

Measure of disorder of system S = kblnW

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19
Q

Second law of thermodynamics

A

Irreversible processes (one direction) involve an increase in entropy in an isolated system

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20
Q

Reversible process

A

If you make very small changes in a system, a process can be reversed, total entropy change of system and surroundings = 0

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21
Q

Enthalpy

A

Measure of the total heat content of a thermodynamic system

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22
Q

Heat capacity

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A

amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a body by 1K. May be at constant pressure or volume

23
Q

Adiabatic heating

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A

Temperature change of a parcel due to a change in air pressure caused by volume expansion related to vertical displacement (no change in heat, reversible process, no change in entropy)

24
Q

Diabatic heating

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A

Temperature change not related to adiabatic heating (phase changes of water, radiation)

25
Potential temperature
The temperature a parcel would have if brought adiabatically to the surface, constant when the parcel moves adiabatically
26
Air parcel
Small air of mass, affected by environment, but doesn't affect environment, pressure equals pressure of environment, but temperature, density and composition may differ from environment
27
Adiabatic lapse rate
Rate of decrease of temperature with height following an adiabatic parcel as it rises
28
Environmental lapse rate
Differs from adiabatic lapse rate
29
Statically stable
Adiabatic lapse rate > environmental lapse rate, parcel heavier than surroundings and sinks, potential temperature increases with height
30
Statically unstable
Adiabatic lapse rate < environmental lapse rate, parcel lighter than surroundings and rises, potential temperature decreases with height
31
Neutral stability
Adiabatic lapse rate = environmental lapse rate
32
Buoyancy force
Difference in forces of mass of air displaced and mass of the parcel
33
Buoyancy frequency
Determines the motion of an air parcel in the atmosphere due to the buoyancy force. Depends on the if the atmosphere is statically stable (oscillatory motion), or unstable (exponential solution)
34
Total potential temperature
Sum of potential energy and internal energy
35
Available potential energy
The potential energy in the atmosphere available for conversion to kinetic energy, slopes in isobars
36
Why is water important for the climate system
Precipitation, radiative effects, stratospheric ozone
37
Saturation vapor pressure
Pressure and temperature at which the rate of evaporation = rate of condensation (determined by Clausius Clapeyron equation)
38
Gibbs free energy
Difference between enthalpy and entropic energy, measure of a system's ability to do work
39
Gibbs free energy of a system in equilibrium
Total specific G of system is sum of G's of each phase and the specific G in each phase is the same
40
Clausius-Clapeyron equation
Relationship between the change in pressure with temperature, which are related by the latent heat of a phase change, temperature and change in volume associated with the phase change
41
Relative humidity
Measure of moisture, ratio of water vapor compared to saturation vapor pressure
42
What happens to vapor pressure as a parcel rises?
The temperature decreases as a parcel rises, and the vapor pressure decreases, but also the saturation vapor pressure decreases, so the parcel may reach saturation
43
Dew point
Temperature air must be cooled at constant pressure for it to be saturated
44
Saturated adiabatic lapse rate
At saturation, latent heat is released, modifies the dry adiabatic lapse rate (lapse rate decreases)
45
Conditional instability
A saturated parcel is conditionally stable if the lapse rate is < saturated adiabatic lapse rate
46
Equivalent potential temperature
Potential temperature a parcel would have if all its moisture were condensed and the latent heat was used to heat the parcel
47
Ways the temperature of a parcel can be brought to equivalent potential?
Raise parcel to top of atmosphere to condense moisture and release heat, bring parcel adiabaticaly back to surface
48
Tephigram
Thermodynamic diagram used to interpret the temperature and humidity structure of the atmosphere
49
What affects the formation of clouds?
Curvature of water droplets (larger radius = less curvature = more cloud formation), T and P
50
How does droplet radius affect vapor pressure?
Vapor pressure required to reach saturation vapor pressure is much greater over curved surfaces (supersaturation to reach equilibrium)
51
What can reduce the RH necessary for cloud formation?
Having a cloud condensation nucleus (solute), occupy surface sites otherwise occupied by water molecules, reduces evaporation rate
52
Raoult's Law
Partial vapor pressure of each component of an ideal mixture of liquids is equal to the vapor pressure of the pure component multiplied by its mole fraction in the mixture
53
Kohler Curve
Shows the supersaturation at which a cloud droplet is in equilibrium with the environment over a range of droplet diameters

EOS 433 (1 decks)

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