No, you can't have a perfectly isolated system. In the case of a vacuum, thermal radiation will be emitted by the inner surface of the vacuum chamber and reach the system that way. The most obvious (and important for humans!) example of this is the sun.VishalB95 said:In practice, is a closed or isolated system possible?
My friends keep saying No, but isn't a system inside say, a vacuum isolated?
There is no outer atmosphere for transfer of energy to take place.
How does sunlight reach Earth? There's a vacuum between the Earth and the sun. Electromagnetic radiation does not require a medium.VishalB95 said:How can radiation be transmitted without a medium??
Yes, it is theoretically possible to create a completely closed system. However, it is extremely difficult to achieve in practice as there will always be some degree of exchange or interaction with the external environment.
A closed system is a physical system that does not exchange any matter or energy with its surroundings. This means that all the components and processes within the system are self-contained and do not rely on external inputs.
No, a closed system cannot sustain itself indefinitely. Even if there is no exchange of matter or energy with the external environment, the system will eventually reach a state of equilibrium where all processes and components come to a stop.
Yes, there are some examples of closed systems in nature, such as a sealed terrarium or a self-contained ecosystem like a fish tank. However, these systems are not truly closed as they still rely on external inputs like sunlight or oxygen.
The main challenge in constructing a closed system is achieving complete isolation from the external environment. This requires a high level of precision and control over all processes and components within the system. Additionally, creating a truly sustainable closed system is also a challenge as it would require a constant supply of energy, which is not possible in a completely isolated system.