Learning objective

  1. Describe the differences between extensive and intensive quantities, state and path quantities, steady state and unsteady systems.
  2. Describe the requirement for a system boundaries
  3. Recall the six-term version of UAE
  4. Simplify and use UAE for various type of system.

System

A system contains anything that interacts with each other. The boundary of a system is determined by you.

Rules for defining systems

  1. Do not change the system in the middle of your calculations
  2. System boundaries can be any shape, but they must be a closed surface (meaning they must be containing something but not open to more and more things).
  3. System boundaries can be rigid or flexible.

Types of system

  • Closed: mass cannot pass the boundaries, but energy can
  • Open: mass can pass
  • Non-isolated: things can pass
  • Isolated: nothing can pass, even mass or energy
  • Homogeneous: properties are the same
  • Non-homogeneous: properties varies
  • Steady: system stage is constant over time
  • Unsteady: system state changes

Intensive and extensive quantities

  • Intensive Quantities: do not change on scale
    • Pressure
    • Color
    • Temperature
    • Melting point, etc.
  • Extensive Quantities: depend on scale
    • Mass
    • Moles
    • Area
    • Volume, etc. Intensive quantities cannot be counted, while extensive quantities can be counted. Derived Quantities: quantities that are a combination of extensive quantities.
  • Density = mass/volume
  • Treat them like intensive quantities

State and Path Quantities

State quantities are independent of path. Path quantities are dependent.

Conservative and Non-conservative Forces

  • Conservative force: independent of the path taken
    • Example: gravitational, spring force, magnetic and electric force, etc.
  • Non-conservative: dependent of the path taken
    • Example: Friction, Air drag, etc.

UAE: Universal Accounting Equation

Final amount - Initial amount = input - output + generation - consumption