Carnot Efficiency Calculator mechanism

Model scope

The honest label is appropriate: this is a reversible Carnot upper bound, not an achievable efficiency for real engines. Verdict is NEEDS_REVIEW because the input temperature units and the ratio-to-percent conversion are not explicitly specified, and the required Th>Tc≥0 K constraint is omitted.

• The Carnot efficiency formula η=1−Tc/Th is correct for a reversible heat engine when Tc and Th are absolute temperatures and Th>Tc.
• The formula returns a dimensionless ratio; the stated percentage output requires an explicit conversion η_percent=100×(1−Tc/Th).
• The specification does not explicitly state the required validity constraint Th>Tc≥0 K. Inputs with Th≤Tc are invalid for the claimed heat-engine calculation.

Units and conventions

• Th and Tc must be absolute temperatures in kelvins, or another absolute scale with the same ratio behavior.
• If users enter Celsius or Fahrenheit, values must be converted to kelvins before applying the formula: T(K)=T(°C)+273.15 and T(K)=(T(°F)+459.67)×5/9.
• η is dimensionless; η (%) is the dimensionless result multiplied by 100.
• Maximum work per unit heat input is W_max/Q_in=η, so for 1 unit of heat input the maximum work is η units.

Inspectable vector

One of 4 source-bound review vectors:

{
  "inputs": {
    "Th": 600,
    "Tc": 300,
    "temperature_unit": "K"
  },
  "expected_outputs": {
    "eta_ratio": 0.5,
    "eta_percent": 50,
    "max_work_per_unit_heat": 0.5
  },
  "working": "η=1−Tc/Th=1−300/600=1−0.5=0.5. η_percent=100×0.5=50%. For 1 unit of heat input, W_max/Q_in=0.5, so W_max=0.5 unit."
}

Failure boundary

BREAK_CLAIMED · SELF_FLAGGED

The specification exposes a division-by-zero input at Th=0 and a physically invalid reversed-temperature ordering that produces a negative raw efficiency. A robust calculator must reject both rather than display misleading numeric results.

Other records

Sources and evidence

These pointers bind the page to evidence. They do not grant authority or collapse verification into deployment.

• VERIFIED_LEDGER.json
• evidence-tranche2/tranche2-results.json
• BOUNDARY_HAZARD_CATALOG.json