Reversibility and Efficiency in Systems

What is the relationship between a system's reversibility and its fuel consumption?

• More reversible systems require more fuel.

• More reversible systems require less fuel.

• Reversibility has no impact on fuel consumption.

• Reversibility only affects fuel consumption in steam engines.

What is the primary role of pistons in an internal combustion engine?

• To cool down the engine.

• To convert rotational motion into linear motion.

• To push expanding gases, converting linear motion into rotational motion.

• To store fuel for combustion.

In the context of energy systems, how is "work" defined?

• It is thermal energy, like the heat from the sun.

• It is any type of energy, other than heat, that crosses into a system.

• It is the total energy contained within a system.

• It is the energy lost due to friction.

Which of the following is an example of pressure-volume work?

• A shaft rotating through a liquid.

• The discharge of a battery.

• Squeezing a stress ball.

• Heat radiating from a warm fire.

What method can make a process more reversible?

• By increasing the size of the steps in the process.

• By performing the process quickly.

• By breaking down the process into smaller, incremental steps.

• By adding more external work to the system.

What is the general definition of efficiency for any system?

• The total energy consumed by the system.

• The ratio of what you get out of it compared to what you put into it.

• The speed at which the system completes a task.

• The amount of heat lost during the process.

What does it mean if a system is 100% efficient?

• It is a totally irreversible system.

• It produces more output than input.

• It is a completely reversible system.

• It operates at maximum speed.

In what situations might an engineer choose to sacrifice efficiency?

• When the system needs to operate for an infinitely long time.

• When the goal is to achieve a task quickly or get a big output.

• When trying to make a process perfectly reversible.

• When minimizing external work is the top priority.