Understanding Isothermal Processes

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on isothermal processes as defined by the first law of thermodynamics, specifically ΔU = 0, which leads to the conclusion that Q = -W. When heat is added to the system, the energy is entirely converted into work performed by the gas on its surroundings. The participants clarify that while the gas molecules gain kinetic energy from heating, they lose this energy when doing work on the piston, maintaining constant internal energy throughout the process.

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bjgawp
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I've gone through a some of our textbooks but none of them effectively explains this process clearly. For the isothermal process, according to the first law of thermodynamics, ΔU = 0, indicating that Q = -W. So if heat flows into the system, all the energy put in is converted to work which the gas does on the surroundings. However, microscopically, how do the molecules exert more force on the wall (i.e. more pressure) without a change in their kinetic energy (i.e. their internal energy)? Taking a container with a movable piston, if the gas moves the piston by work - doesn't that mean that the molecules have gained more kinetic energy to move it?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Yes, when you heat the gas the molecules gain kinetic energy, and they lose it pushing the piston.
 

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