Infinitesimal work in quasistatic process¶

For a process in a closed system, occuring slowly enough for it to be quasi-static (i.e. the system remains in internal physical, but not necessarily chemical, thermodynamic equilibrium), the infinitesimal increment of work done by the system is related to the pressure inside the system and the infinitesimal increment of volume of the system.

Notation:

\(\delta\) (delta) denotes that the increment is an inexact, path-dependent differential.
\(d\) denotes that the increment is an exact, path-independent differential.

Links:

Wikipedia.

work_done_by_system¶: Infinitesimal increment of work done by the system.

Symbol:: delta(W)
Latex:: \(\delta W\)
Dimension:: energy

pressure¶: pressure inside the system.

Symbol:: p
Latex:: \(p\)
Dimension:: pressure

volume_change¶: Infinitesimal increment of volume of the system.

Symbol:: dV
Latex:: \(dV\)
Dimension:: volume

law¶

delta(W) = p * dV

Latex:: \[\delta W = p dV\]