The Heat Engine

Explore the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the limits of efficiency through the Carnot Cycle.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

A key implication of the Second Law is that no process is 100% efficient in converting heat into work. A heat engine **must** exhaust some "waste heat" ($Q_C$) into a colder environment to complete its cycle. This fundamental limit is why power plants have cooling towers and cars have radiators.

Carnot Efficiency

The French scientist Sadi Carnot discovered the absolute maximum theoretical efficiency any heat engine can have. This "Carnot Efficiency" depends only on the temperatures of the hot ($T_H$) and cold ($T_C$) reservoirs. The formula is $\eta_{max} = 1 - (T_C / T_H)$.

Engine Controls

Hot Reservoir Temp ($T_H$): 600 K

Cold Reservoir Temp ($T_C$): 300 K

What's Happening?

Set reservoir temperatures and press Start to run the engine through the Carnot cycle.

Energy & Efficiency

Heat from Hot ($Q_H$): 0 J

Work Done (W): 0 J

Waste Heat ($Q_C$): 0 J

Engine Efficiency (W/Q_H):
0.0 %

Max Possible (Carnot):
0.0 %