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1.14.1: Adiabatic

  • Page ID
    352496
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    For a closed system undergoing a change in thermodynamic properties under the adiabatic constraint, heat does not cross between system and surroundings. The system is thermally insulated (i.e. adiabatically enclosed) from the surroundings. The First Law for closed systems has the following form.

    \[\Delta \mathrm{U}=\mathrm{q}+\mathrm{w}\]

    For changes under the adiabatic constraint, \(\mathrm{q}\) is zero [1]. Then for adiabatic changes,

    \[\Delta \mathrm{U}=\mathrm{w} .\]

    Footnote

    [1] ‘Adiabatic’ means impassable, from the Greek: ‘a = not’ + ‘dia = through’ + ‘bathos = deep’.


    This page titled 1.14.1: Adiabatic is shared under a Public Domain license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Michael J Blandamer & Joao Carlos R Reis via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.