i was reading my lecture note over the half term but i am still a bit confused and i was wondering if someone could describe in detail, using a p-v diagram, a well known engineering cycle which specifies a isothermal or adiabatic process.An isothermal process is a thermodynamic process in which the temperature of a system remains constant throughout. This means that the system is in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings at all times during the process.
An adiabatic process is a thermodynamic process in which there is no transfer of heat between the system and its surroundings. This means that the system is thermally insulated and the temperature of the system can change due to work done on or by the system.
The main difference between isothermal and adiabatic processes is that in an isothermal process, the temperature remains constant, while in an adiabatic process, the temperature can change due to work done on or by the system.
An example of an isothermal process is the melting of ice in a glass of water. The temperature of the water remains at 0°C until all the ice has melted. An example of an adiabatic process is the compression of a gas in a bicycle pump. The temperature of the gas increases due to the work done on it, but there is no transfer of heat between the gas and its surroundings.
In an isothermal process, the internal energy of a system remains constant as there is no change in temperature. In an adiabatic process, the internal energy of a system can change due to work done on or by the system, but there is no transfer of heat. This means that the change in internal energy is equal to the work done on or by the system.