Adiabatic & Exothermic

Expansion

M Tanweer Kamboh
M.Sc. (Physics-IV)
MPHY01163103

Department of Physics > The University of Lahore-UOL

Today we will discus about,

 Adiabatic process
 Explanation
 Adiabatic Expansion
 Exothermic Process
 Exothermic vs Endothermic
Do you know?

Burning match is an example of exothermic process.

What is adiabatic process?
 An adiabatic process is one that occurs so
rapidly or occurs in a system that is so well
insulated that no transfer of energy as heat
occurs between the system and its
environment.(Q=0 in first law)
 So, this tells us work done by the system or

work done on the system

Explanation
 Figure shows an idealized adiabatic process. Heat
cannot enter or leave system because of insulation.
 Thus, the only way energy can be

transferred between the system and

its environment is by work.
 If we remove shot from the piston

and allow gas to expand , the work

done by the system(gas) is positive,
internal energy of the gas decreases
 If we add shot and compress gas,

work done by the system is negative

and the internal energy of the gas increases.
Adiabatic process

http://pboysen.github.io/sims/mtnsim/index.html
Adiabatic Expansion
 Figure “a” shows our usual insulated cylinder,
now containing an ideal gas and resting on
an insulating stand.
 By removing mass from the piston, we can

allow the gas to expand adiabatically.

 As the volume increases, both the pressure

and the temperature drop, this process

occurs along a line called an adiabat. (shown in “b”)
Since the gas goes from an initial state i to a
final state f, We can rewrite equation as,
Adiabatic Expansion
Think about it ???
 Why popping the cork on a cold bottle of champagne or the
tab on a cold can of soda causes a slight fog to form at the
opening of the container?
Think about it ???
 Why popping the cork on a cold bottle of champagne or the
tab on a cold can of soda causes a slight fog to form at the
opening of the container?
Answer:
 At the top of any unopened carbonated drink sits a gas
of carbon dioxide and water vapor. Because the gas
pressure is greater than atmospheric pressure, the gas
expands out into the atmosphere when the container is
opened.
 Thus, the gas volume increases. The expansion is rapid,
it is adiabatic, and the only source of energy for the
work is the internal energy of the gas. Because the
internal energy decreases, the temperature of the gas
also decreases, which causes the water vapor in the gas
to condense into tiny drops of fog.
Exothermic Process
 A process or reaction that releases energy from the
system to its surroundings, usually in the form
of heat.
Exo = Exit
Exothermic vs Endothermic


A reaction is EXOTHERMIC if more energy is RELEASED than

SUPPLIED. If more energy is SUPPLIED than is RELEASED
then the reaction is ENDOTHERMIC.
Think about it ???
 How much Activation Energy is needed?
60 KJ
Think about it ???
 ENDOTHERMIC or EXOTHERMIC?
EXOTHERMIC
Think about it ???

Why must heat be absorbed in order for

water to boil?

A. To make more molecules

B. To form the bonds for the gas
C. To break the bonds of the liquid
D. To reduce the motion of molecules
Think about it ???

Why must heat be absorbed in order for

water to boil?

A. To make more molecules

B. To form the bonds for the gas
C. To break the bonds of the liquid
D. To reduce the motion of molecules
References

Fundamentals of Physics
By
Halliday-Resnick-Walker
&
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