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adiabatic process
physics
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External Websites
- Physics LibreTexts - Adiabatic Processes for an Ideal Gas
- University of Central Florida - Pressbooks - Adiabatic Processes for an Ideal Gas
- Energy Education - Adiabatic
- PennState - College of Mineral and Earth Sciences - John A. Dutton Institute of Teaching and Learning Excellence - Adiabatic Processes: The Path of Least Resistance
adiabatic process, in thermodynamics, change occurring within a system as a result of transfer of energy to or from the system in the form of work only; i.e., no heat is transferred. A rapid expansion or contraction of a gas is very nearly adiabatic. Any process that occurs within a container that is a good thermal insulator is also adiabatic. Adiabatic processes are characterized by an increase in entropy, or degree of disorder, if they are irreversible and by no change in entropy if they are reversible. Adiabatic processes cannot decrease entropy.