3.7
3.7
3.7.1
Process, path, cyclic process
Process diagram
Quasi-equilibrium
Adiabatic, isothermal, isobaric, isochoric
Evaluate the change in properties during a simple process
3.7.2
Images of steam engines evoke nostalgia and passion, but they are based on some fundamental thermodynamic principles.
Watch the video and consider what is actually happening to the steam within the cylinders, especially how the temperature and pressure is changing.
3.7.3
The vision of a steam engine locomotive and the moving pistons driving the wheels is easy to image.
What is actually happening to the steam within the pistons?
How is the temperature and pressure changing?
What sort of diagram might we use to illustrate this?
3.7.4
The concept of a state diagram and properties has previously been introduced. In this unit we will now consider moving from one point to another on a state diagram, a so called process.
We will introduce a process and define a process path. We will define the criteria to describe a process completely and introduce a very important definition, that of a quasi-equilibrium process.