isotherm

(noun)

in thermodynamics, a curve on a P-V diagram representing the state of a gas at constant temperature ("iso-" means same and "-therm" refers to temperature)

Related Terms

  • specific heat
  • critical point
  • Boyle's law
  • ideal gas

(noun)

in thermodynamics, a curve on a p-V diagram for an isothermal process

Related Terms

  • specific heat
  • critical point
  • Boyle's law
  • ideal gas

Examples of isotherm in the following topics:

  • Real Gases

    • This law sufficiently approximates gas behavior in many calculations; real gases exhibit complex behaviors that deviate from the ideal model, however, as shown by the isotherms in the graph below.
    • (Isotherms refer to the different curves on the graph, which represent a gas' state at different pressure and volume conditions but at constant temperature; "Iso-" means same and "-therm" means temperature—hence isotherm.)
    • Note that the isotherms representing high temperatures deviate less from ideal behavior (Z remains close to 1 across the graph), while for isotherms representing low temperatures, Z deviates greatly from unity.
    • Notice that the higher isotherms on the graph, which represent the gas' state at higher temperature, show the typical, concave decreasing curve of an inverse relationship.
    • As temperature decreases, however, the isotherms on the lower portion of the graph significantly deviate from this ideal inverse relationship between P and V.
  • Van der Waals Equation

    • Isotherm (plots of pressure versus volume at constant temperature) can be produced using the van der Waals model.
  • Crystalline Solids

    • Below the temperature of the isothermal line ced, the mixture is entirely solid, consisting of a conglomerate of solid A and solid B.
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