Why must the Gibbs Free Energy be proportional to N?

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of extensive variables and how they are defined. The textbook author, Daniel Schroeder, provides an example of a function, G, that is not extensive because it does not follow the definition of an extensive variable. The conversation also mentions that the intensive variables, such as temperature and pressure, do not change when scaling the "system size."
  • #1
aliens123
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In the textbook Thermal Physics by Daniel Schroeder he says the following:
5.35.PNG


However, I don't follow this argument. Let's say that G was the following:
$$G(T, P, N) = (TPN)^{1/3}$$
Then
$$G(\lambda T, \lambda P, \lambda N) = \lambda G$$
So $$G$$ is extensive, but $$G \not \propto N.$$
 
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  • #2
aliens123 said:
Let's say that G was the following:
$$G(T, P, N) = (TPN)^{1/3}$$
Then
$$G(\lambda T, \lambda P, \lambda N) = \lambda G$$
So $$G$$ is extensive, but $$G \not \propto N.$$
In this example ##G## is not extensive since ##G(T,P,\lambda N)\ne \lambda G(T,P,N)##
 
  • #3
Dale said:
In this example ##G## is not extensive since ##G(T,P,\lambda N)\ne \lambda G(T,P,N)##
Isn't the definition of extensive
$$Q(\lambda q_1, \lambda q_2, ..., \lambda q_n ) = \lambda Q(q_1, q_2, ..., q_n)?$$
 
  • #4
aliens123 said:
Isn't the definition of extensive
$$Q(\lambda q_1, \lambda q_2, ..., \lambda q_n ) = \lambda Q(q_1, q_2, ..., q_n)?$$
The ##q_i## need to be extensive here. You are looking at ##P## and ##T## which are intensive. If you double the amount of stuff, temperature and pressure don't double. Have a look at the rabbits on the page before the excerpt you used in the OP.
 
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Likes Dale
  • #5
No, you have to multiply only the extensive variables with ##\lambda##. The intensive variables don't change when scaling the "system size". That's the definition of extensive vs. intensive variables.
 
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