CHAP. 1: BASIC TERMS [CONTENTS] 33
Example
Let our system be a cube of ice with a mass of 1 g, and the initial state be a temperature of
− 10 ◦C and a pressure of 100 kPa. The sequence of processes taking place in the system was as
follows: the cube was heated to 0◦C at which it melted. The liquid water was electrolyzed at this
temperature. The resulting mixture of hydrogen and oxygen was expanded to 200 Pa and ignited.
The water vapour resulting from the reaction had a temperature of 500◦C at the end of the
reaction. It was then cooled to− 10 ◦C and compressed to 100 kPa. In the course of compression
desublimation (snowing) occurred, and the system returned to its initial thermodynamic state. A
cyclic process took place.
