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AdiabaticProcess
AdiabaticProcessWork
ReversibleAdiabatic
Process
IrreversibleAdiabatic
Process
AdiabaticProcess
Example

Physics Thermodynamics AdiabaticProcess

AdiabaticProcess

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Thermodynamicinvolvesthestudyofstatechangesinthesystemanditsvariables.Thethermodynamicprocessisthechangeinthesta

system from its initial to final state. The path of thermodynamic processes is determined by taking certain thermodynamic variables as c

These variables are volume, pressure, temperature or heat transfer. The functions of the system are state functions and path functions. T

functionsarethefunctionthatdependsontheinitialandfinalstateofthesysteminthermodynamicprocesswhilepathfunctionsdependon
ofthermodynamicchange.

AdiabaticExpansion

The thermodynamic process involves a change in generally energy of the system. There are different types of thermodynamic proces

isothermal process in which temperature is taking constant while in isochoric process, volume is taking constant. The other two proces

RelatedConcepts

isobaricinwhichpressureisconstantandisobaricprocessinwhichpressureisconstant.Herewearediscussingallabouttheadiabatic p
Letsdiscussonthat.

AdiabaticTemperatureChange
ReversibleAdiabaticCompression
ChromatographyProcess
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FissionProcess
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AdiabaticProcessWork

The process in which neither heat enters into nor goes out the system is called adiabatic process. In this process the work is done a

expenseofitsowninternalenergy.Ifthegasexpandsadiabatically,thesystemworksanditstemperaturedecreases.Ontheotherhand,
gasgetscompressedadiabatically,thesystemworksonthesystemanditstemperatureincreases.

Letthegasexpandbyinfinitesimalamountdvatalmostconstantpressure,theworkdonebythegasisgivenby
dW=Pdv...............(1)
Foradiabaticexpansion,theperfectgasequationis,
P V =Constant=K
or
K

P=

AsthegasexpandsadiabaticallyfrominitialvolumeV1tofinalvolumeV2,thetotalworkdoneisobtainedbyintegratingequation(1)withint
V1tofinalvolumeV2.Thetotalworkdoneisobtainedbyintegratingtheequation(1)withinthelimitsV1toV2,thatis,
V2

W= V Pdv
1

V2

= V

Kdv

V2

W=K V
1

W=K [

1
1

dv

+1

[
V

1
2

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1

[
V

]........(2)

Substituting P1 V1 = P2 V2 =Kinequation(2),weget

W=

1
(1)
1

(1)

P2 V
V

P1 V
V

[P2V2P1V1]

fromperfectequation,wehavePV=RT
P1V1=RT1
P2V2=RT2
R

WorkdoneW=

(1)

(T1T2).

ReversibleAdiabaticProcess

AReversibleAdiabaticProcessisalsocalledaIsentropicProcess.Itisatypeofprocessinwhichtheentropyoftheprocessremainscon
throughouttheprocess,i.e.,fromstartingtilltheend.Thereisnochangeintheentropyofthereaction.
Applyingfirstlawofthermodynamicstotheprocess,
dQ=dU+dw
where,dQ=Heattransferred,
dU=Changeininternalenergy,
dW=Workdone.
ReplacingdWwiththereversiblework
ForReversiblework,dW=Pdv
Inadiabaticprocess,dQ=0=>dU=Pdv.
Theequationforthe1stlawofthermodynamicsis:
nCdT=nCvdT+PdV...................................(a)
Here,dQ=nCdT
dU=nCvdT
dW=PdV.
AndforadiabaticprocessdQ=nCdT=zero
Hence,
nCvdT+PdV=0..............................(b)

Foridealgas,PV=nRTwillgiveP=

nRT
V

Putthisvaluein(b)weget
nCvdT+

nRT
V

nCvdT+nRT

ButCv=

nR
1

nR

nR

dT
T

dT
T

R
(1)

dT
T

dV=0
dV
V

=0...........................(c)

+nR

+(1)nR

=(1 )nR

dV
V

dV
V

dV
V

=0

=0

......................(d)

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ifweintegratethiswewillget

dT

nR

dV

= (1 )nR

LnT=(1 )LnV+C
LnTV( 1)=C=constant
P V =constant................................(d)
Followingrelationsholdforisentropicprocess:
P V =Constant
where,P=pressure
V=Volume
1

T1
T2

= [

P1
P2

V1
V2

P2

= =[ P

Where,P1andP2arepressures
V1andV2areVolumes
T1andT2aretemperatures
1

and 2 arethegasdensities.

IrreversibleAdiabaticProcess

AnAdiabaticprocessthatisnotreversibleiscalledirreversibleadiabaticprocess.Inthis,theentropydoesnotremainconstantorentrophyv
Insuchaprocess,
dQ TdS
where,
dQ=Heattransferred
T=temperature
dS=Changeinentrophy
Thisispossibleonlywhentheprocessisreversibleandnotinanyothercase.ItisalsocalledIsoenthalpicProcess.Itextractsnowork.
Letustaketheexampleofidealgas.
1moleofgasatpressureP1andtemperatureT1isequalto1moleofgasatpressureP2andtemperatureT2.
1molgas(P1,T1)=1molgas(P2,T2)(pext =P2)
Inadiabaticprocess,HeattransferreddQ=0
Constantpext =P2
Workdoneisgivenby,
dw=P2dV
Inidealgas,Changeininternalenergy,dU=CVdT
From1stLawofthermodynamics,Changeininternalenergy,dU=P2dV
CvdT=P2dV

Integratingbothsides,

Cv(T2T1)= P2(V2V1)

weget,
nCvdT=pext dVPV=nRT
whereCv=SpecificheatatConstantVolume,
dV=SmallchangeinVolume,

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n=noofmoleculespresent,
R=gasConstant,
T=Temperatureattained,
P=pressure,
pext=pressureoutsidethesystem.
ifp2<p1?T2<T1Againexpansioncools

(Wrev)>(Wirrev)Lessworkisrecoveredthroughanirreversibleprocess.Anotherexampleisprogressingtowardsnegativeentr
Thisisallaboutadiabaticprocess.

AdiabaticProcessExample
Variousexampleofanadiabaticprocessare:
1.Whengasiscompressed,heatisgenerated,itisalsoanadiabaticprocess.Forexampleinapiston.
2.Thereiscoolingandexpansionofair,itraisesthat.Similarlyasitdescends,itcontractsandgrowswarmer.
3.Thependulumoscillatinginaverticalplaneisanexampleofit.
4.Aquantumharmonicoscillatorisalsoanexampleofadiabaticsystem.
5.Whenweputtheiceintotheicebox,noheatgoesoutandnoheatcomesin.

AdiabaticExpansion

TheAdiabaticexpansionistheexpansionofthegasunderanadiabaticprocess.Underthisexpansion,workismostlydonebythegasi.e.th
workingsubstancethusthereisariseintheinternalenergyofthegasduetotheadiabaticexpansion.

IfT1andP1istheinitialtemperatureandpressureofagivenmassofthegaswhileT2andP2thefinaltemperatureandpressurerespectively,
sincetheprocessisadiabaticthuswehave
1

T1P1

=T2 P2

orthefinaltemperatureofthegas

P1

T2=T1( P

LawsofThermodynamics

IsothermalProce

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