Today we use PASCO Heat Engine Apparatus to do useful work using internal energy. First, we tried the cycle a few times, working out the kinks in the procedure. Then, we drew pV diagrams, explaining why we thought each transition is adiabatic, isothermal, isobaric, or isochoric. Then we came up with a formula for the volume as a function of the height of the piston. Then it was time to get quantitative and take data. We then calculated the net work done two ways--by the pV diagram and by the change in gravitational potential energy. We got some great results!
We then talked a little about entropy. We defined microstates and macrostates and talked about how the entropy of the universe is increasing.