Calculating and Visualizing Thermodynamic Equilibrium A Tutorial on the Isolated System with an Internal Adiabatic Piston

摘要

Problems dealing with the prediction of the equilibrium state of a system under certain constraints can be quite instructive in introductory courses on thermodynamics. Generally, they involve the application of the first and second laws, establishment of appropriate hypotheses and approximations, and evaluation of variations in thermodynamic properties with changes in pressure, temperature, and volume. A typical problem involves a rigid and adiabatic container divided by a frictionless piston and containing certain amounts of ideal gases in both compartments (Figure 1).