Question

Tony now wants to design the engine with efficiency greater than that of Carnot's Engine, will he succeed? (Assuming his scientific work to be governed by the laws of physics that apply in the real world)

• A. Yes, of course, he is Iron Man!
• B. Yes, he has state of the art equipment at his disposal, Carnot was old.
• C. No, it violates 1${}^{st}$ law of thermodynamics.
• D. No, the efficiency of Carnot's engine is the theoretical upper limit of efficiency, he can at best match it.

Answer 1

The correct option is D No, the efficiency of Carnot's engine is the theoretical upper limit of efficiency, he can at best match it.

The efficiency of a Carnot's engine is the highest possible theoretical efficiency of any engine, any other engine can only match it, not improve upon it. Any engine with a better efficiency can be proved to violate the 2${}^{nd}$ law of thermodynamics.