An isothermal process is a thermodynamic process in which the temperature of a system remains constant throughout the entire process. In other words, the system is in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings at all times, and there is no change in temperature.
Key characteristics of an isothermal process include:
- Constant Temperature: In an isothermal process, the system is in contact with a heat reservoir, which maintains a constant temperature. This constant temperature is maintained by continuous heat exchange between the system and the reservoir.
- Heat Transfer: During an isothermal process, heat is transferred into or out of the system to maintain the constant temperature. If the heat is transferred into the system, it is typically absorbed from the surroundings, and if heat is transferred out of the system, it is typically released to the surroundings.
- Idealization: An isothermal process is an idealized concept as it assumes perfect and instantaneous heat transfer and temperature equilibrium throughout the system. In practice, achieving a true isothermal process is often challenging due to factors such as thermal gradients, time delays in heat transfer, and energy losses.
- Work Done: In an isothermal process, work can be done on or by the system. For example, in a gas expansion, work can be done by the gas on its surroundings or work can be done on the gas to compress it. The magnitude of work done depends on the pressure-volume changes of the system.
- Ideal Gas Behavior: The ideal gas law is commonly used to analyze isothermal processes involving ideal gases. According to the ideal gas law, the product of pressure (P) and volume (V) of an ideal gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature (T). Mathematically, this relationship is expressed as P * V = n * R * T, where n is the number of moles of gas and R is the ideal gas constant.
Examples of isothermal processes include:
- Heat exchange between a system and a constant-temperature reservoir
- Expansion or compression of an ideal gas at a constant temperature
- Isothermal phase changes such as boiling or condensation.
Isothermal processes are of particular interest in thermodynamics as they provide simplified scenarios for analysis and allow for the calculation of certain thermodynamic quantities, such as work and heat transfer, without considering temperature changes.
Table of Contents
Work done in Isothermal Process
For an ideal gas, the equation is given as: PV = nRT
Where: P is the pressure of the gas V is the volume of the gas n is the number of moles of gas R is the ideal gas constant T is the temperature
In an isothermal process, T remains constant. Let’s consider an expansion of the gas where the volume increases from V1 to V2. Since the temperature remains unchanged, the equation can be written as:
P1 * V1 = P2 * V2
The work done (W) in an isothermal process can be calculated by integrating the expression for work, which is the product of pressure and change in volume, over the range of the process. The integral can be written as:
W = ∫ P dV
For an isothermal process, where P is not constant, the equation can be rearranged using the ideal gas law:
W = ∫ (nRT / V) dV
The integral is taken from the initial volume (V1) to the final volume (V2). The work done in an isothermal process is the area under the curve of the pressure-volume graph.
The result of the integral will depend on the specific function describing the relationship between pressure and volume in the process. If the pressure-volume relationship follows a known function, such as a linear relationship or an equation of state, the integral can be evaluated accordingly to determine the work done.
It’s important to note that in an isothermal expansion, work is done by the gas, resulting in a negative value for work done, indicating that the system loses energy to perform work. In contrast, in an isothermal compression, work is done on the gas, resulting in a positive value for work done, indicating that the system gains energy as work is done on it.
Difference between Adiabatic and Isothermal Process
The main difference between adiabatic and isothermal processes lies in how they handle heat transfer and the resulting temperature changes. Here’s a comparison of the two processes:
- Heat Transfer:
- Adiabatic Process: In an adiabatic process, there is no heat transfer between the system and its surroundings. The system is thermally isolated, meaning there is no exchange of heat energy with the environment.
- Isothermal Process: In an isothermal process, heat transfer occurs between the system and its surroundings to maintain a constant temperature. The system is in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings at all times, and the temperature remains constant throughout the process.
- Temperature Change:
- Adiabatic Process: In an adiabatic process, as there is no heat transfer, the system’s temperature can change. The change in temperature is typically associated with the compression or expansion of a gas, leading to changes in its internal energy.
- Isothermal Process: In an isothermal process, the temperature remains constant throughout. The system is in continuous thermal equilibrium with its surroundings, and any heat transferred into or out of the system is precisely balanced to maintain the constant temperature.
- Work Done:
- Adiabatic Process: In an adiabatic process, work can be done on or by the system, resulting in changes in internal energy and temperature. The work done can be calculated using the equation W = ∆U, where ∆U represents the change in internal energy of the system.
- Isothermal Process: In an isothermal process, work can also be done on or by the system, but the temperature remains constant. The work done can be calculated using the equation W = Q, where Q represents the heat transferred into or out of the system.
- Pressure-Volume Relationship:
- Adiabatic Process: In an adiabatic process, the relationship between pressure and volume is governed by the adiabatic equation: PV^γ = constant, where γ is the heat capacity ratio for the specific gas.
- Isothermal Process: In an isothermal process, the relationship between pressure and volume is governed by the ideal gas law: PV = nRT, where n is the number of moles of gas and R is the ideal gas constant. The temperature remains constant, so the product of pressure and volume remains constant as well.
In summary, the key difference between adiabatic and isothermal processes is that adiabatic processes involve no heat transfer and allow for temperature changes, while isothermal processes involve heat transfer to maintain a constant temperature throughout the process.
Example of Isothermal Process
An example of an isothermal process is the expansion or compression of an ideal gas in a thermally conducting container.
Let’s consider the expansion of an ideal gas in a piston-cylinder system. The system is initially in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings at a constant temperature. Here’s how the isothermal process unfolds:
- Initial State: The gas is in the cylinder, and the piston is in a certain position, defining the initial volume (V1) and pressure (P1).
- Expansion: The external force on the piston is reduced, allowing the gas to expand against the opposing pressure. As the gas expands, it pushes the piston outward, resulting in an increase in volume (V2). Since the process is isothermal, heat is transferred between the gas and the surroundings to maintain a constant temperature.
- Heat Transfer: As the gas expands, heat is absorbed from the surroundings to compensate for the decrease in pressure and prevent a rise in temperature. This heat transfer balances the decrease in internal energy of the gas due to expansion and keeps the temperature constant.
- Final State: The expansion continues until the desired final volume (V2) is achieved. At this point, the gas reaches a new equilibrium, maintaining a constant temperature throughout the process.
During the isothermal expansion, the pressure and volume of the gas are inversely related, following the ideal gas law: P1 * V1 = P2 * V2. As the gas expands, the pressure decreases proportionally to the increase in volume, ensuring the maintenance of the constant temperature.
This example demonstrates how an isothermal process involves heat transfer to keep the temperature constant while the gas expands or contracts. It is often encountered in various applications, such as refrigeration systems, heat engines operating between constant-temperature reservoirs, or processes involving a thermal bath to control the temperature.
Important Links