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JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 2 · Physics · Thermodynamics and Kinetic Theory of Gases · medium

One mole of a monatomic ideal gas undergoes a cycle represented on a P-V diagram by a rectangle: (P0,V0)→(2P0,V0)→(2P0,2V0)→(P0,2V0)→(P0,V0), all…

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One mole of a monatomic ideal gas undergoes a cycle represented on a PP-VV diagram by a rectangle: (P0,V0)→(2P0,V0)→(2P0,2V0)→(P0,2V0)→(P0,V0)(P_0,V_0)\to(2P_0,V_0)\to(2P_0,2V_0)\to(P_0,2V_0)\to(P_0,V_0), all processes being quasi-static and the two legs at fixed PP or VV being isobaric or isochoric. The efficiency of this cycle is η\eta. A Carnot engine works between the highest and the lowest temperatures reached in this cycle. What is the ratio η/ηCarnot\eta/\eta_{\rm Carnot}?
  1. A. 839\dfrac{8}{39}
  2. B. 213\dfrac{2}{13}
  3. C. 413\dfrac{4}{13}
  4. D. 13\dfrac{1}{3}
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Answer: (A) 839\dfrac{8}{39}

Work per cycle W=(2P0−P0)(2V0−V0)=P0V0W=(2P_0-P_0)(2V_0-V_0)=P_0V_0. Heat is absorbed only on the isochoric rise A→BA\to B and the isobaric expansion B→CB\to C (on the other two legs temperature falls, so heat is rejected). For γ\gamma of a monatomic gas, CV=32RC_V=\tfrac32R, CP=52RC_P=\tfrac52R. Using PV=RTPV=RT: QAB=32(2P0V0−P0V0)=32P0V0Q_{AB}=\tfrac32(2P_0V_0-P_0V_0)=\tfrac32P_0V_0 and QBC=52(4P0V0−2P0V0)=5P0V0Q_{BC}=\tfrac52(4P_0V_0-2P_0V_0)=5P_0V_0. Qin=132P0V0Q_{in}=\tfrac{13}{2}P_0V_0, so η=213\eta=\tfrac{2}{13}. The extreme temperatures are Tmin⁡=P0V0/RT_{\min}=P_0V_0/R (at AA) and Tmax⁡=4P0V0/RT_{\max}=4P_0V_0/R (at CC), giving ηCarnot=1−14=34\eta_{\rm Carnot}=1-\tfrac14=\tfrac34. Ratio =2/133/4=839=\tfrac{2/13}{3/4}=\tfrac{8}{39}. The option 2/132/13 is η\eta itself (forgetting to divide by ηCarnot\eta_{\rm Carnot}); 4/134/13 and 1/31/3 come from mis-computing the heat input or the Carnot efficiency.
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