A heat engine uses thermal energy that flows from a heat source with a temperature of 325 K to a cold sink, which has a temperature of 135 K. What is the efficiency of the heat engine? The answer should have three significant figures.
The efficiency of a heat engine is given by the formula:
Efficiency = 1 - (Tc/Th)
Where Tc is the temperature of the cold sink, and Th is the temperature of the hot source.
Given Tc = 135 K and Th = 325 K,
Efficiency = 1 - (135/325)
= 1 - 0.415
= 0.585
Therefore, the efficiency of the heat engine is 0.585.