For K-12 Students · Carnot Cycle
Carnot Cycle for a glass pane
Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate a glass pane live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Carnot CycleLive
the ideal heat engine
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The Carnot cycle — two isothermal and two adiabatic steps — is the most efficient possible heat engine between two temperatures. Its efficiency depends only on the reservoir temperatures: η = 1 − Tc/Th. No real engine can beat it, which is why raising the hot temperature or lowering the cold one is the only path to higher efficiency.
Data Inspector
Efficiency50.0%
Tₕ / Tc2.00
Carnot limit50.0%
Governing equation
Reading this result: Efficiency here is 50.0% and is fixed by the temperature ratio alone — widening the expansion ratio enlarges the enclosed work loop but can never push past the 50.0% Carnot ceiling, and each kelvin removed from the cold side buys a bit more than each kelvin added to the hot side.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for k-12 students?
- Yes — this version of "Carnot Cycle for a glass pane" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.