Physics › Section J · Thermodynamics › Topic J.4
Carnot's perfect heat engine
No engine can be perfect, but how close can it get? In 1824 a young French engineer found the answer, and it depends on just two numbers: how hot the heat source is, and how cold the surroundings that take the waste heat are.
In this topic
- How good can an engine be?
- Why reversible processes win
- The Carnot cycle
- The Carnot efficiency
- What the formula tells you
- Worked example: a steam power station
- Worked example: heat and work in a Carnot engine
- Worked example: testing an inventor's claim
- Small temperature differences
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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