Carnot Engine Model - Physics Demonstrations - Carnot Engine Model | Physics Undergraduate Labs

Purpose

A physical prop set for walking through the Carnot cycle at the board. Labeled boxes represent the hot reservoir, cold reservoir, and perfect insulator; a glass beaker with a wooden piston represents the cylinder. Move the cylinder between stations while drawing the corresponding P-V diagram.

Carnot engine model: five labeled components on a lecture bench. Left: "CARNOT ENGINE" sign and brown box labeled "HIGH TEMPERATURE RESERVOIR T₁." Center: brown box labeled "PERFECT INSULATOR" supporting a wooden frame labeled "PERFECT CONDUCTOR" holding a glass beaker with a wooden dowel piston. Right: sign reading "CYLINDER WALLS AND PISTON PERFECT INSULATORS" and brown box labeled "LOW TEMPERATURE RESERVOIR T₂."

Figure 1: The Carnot engine model: labeled boxes for the hot reservoir (T₁), cold reservoir (T₂), and perfect insulator, with a glass beaker and wooden piston representing the cylinder on a "perfect conductor" base.