Re: [Phys-l] PV question

[Carl Mungan <mungan@usna.edu>]

Leigh wrote:

> It is 
> implicit in the question that in this process the state of >the system is always 
> sufficiently near *mechanical* equilibrium that its pressure >is uniform 
> throughout. Note that this does not imply the stronger >constraint that it be 
> near *thermodynamic* throughout the process, though that is >the usual case.

Okay I'll bite: Can you construct a specific example (preferably involving some actual setup) where the gas can follow the process described and *not* be in (or better: nearly in, which I agree with John D is my meaning of the term "quasistatic") thermodynamic equilibrium? Certainly for say an ideal monatomic gas in the usual cylinder arrangement, no such example is possible because N,V,P all have well-defined (near-equilibrium) values throughout the process and hence so does evey state variable. So I conclude you must be thinking of a different kind of example. Please provide the details. -Carl

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Carl E Mungan, Assoc Prof of Physics  410-293-6680 (O) -3729 (F)
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