PASCO TD-8565 Adiabatic Gas Law Apparatus - Manual (Page 18)

Experiment 4: Complete Cycle
© 2009 Physics Enterprises 18
Though the process is not a heat engine, we can compare the net work done on the gas with
the heat flow out,
(4.2)
And compare the result with the Otto cycle efficiency which is known to be
(4.3)
where r is the compression ratio
(4.4)
and γ is the ratio of specific heats at constant pressure and constant volume (for air, γ = 1.4).
on
by on
out
net
W
W W
Q
W
−
= = ξ
1
1
1
−
− =
γ
η
r
Otto
min
max
V
V
r
=
Reversed Otto Cycle
P-V diagram
P
V
Work