Math Background for Thermodynamics ∑
MATH BACKGROUND FOR THERMODYNAMICS A. Partial Derivatives and Total Differentials Partial Derivatives Given a function f(x1,x2,...,xm) of m independent variables, the partial derivative ∂ f of f with respect to x , holding the other m-1 independent variables constant, , is defined by i ∂ xi xj≠i ∂ f fx( , x ,..., x+ ∆ x ,..., x )− fx ( , x ,..., x ,..., x ) = 12ii m 12 i m ∂ lim ∆ xi x →∆ 0 xi xj≠i i nRT Example: If p(n,V,T) = , V ∂ p RT ∂ p nRT ∂ p nR = = − = ∂ n V ∂V 2 ∂T V VT,, nTV nV , Total Differentials Given a function f(x1,x2,...,xm) of m independent variables, the total differential of f, df, is defined by m ∂ f df = ∑ dx ∂ i i=1 xi xji≠ ∂ f ∂ f ∂ f = dx + dx + ... + dx , ∂ 1 ∂ 2 ∂ m x1 x2 xm xx2131,...,mm xxx , ,..., xx ,..., m-1 where dxi is an infinitesimally small but arbitrary change in the variable xi. nRT Example: For p(n,V,T) = , V ∂ p ∂ p ∂ p dp = dn + dV + dT ∂ n ∂ V ∂ T VT,,, nT nV RT nRT nR = dn − dV + dT V V 2 V B. Some Useful Properties of Partial Derivatives 1. The order of differentiation in mixed second derivatives is immaterial; e.g., for a function f(x,y), ∂ ∂ f ∂ ∂ f ∂ 22f ∂ f = or = ∂ y ∂ xx ∂ ∂ y ∂∂yx ∂∂xy y x x y 2 in the commonly used short-hand notation. (This relation can be shown to follow from the definition of partial derivatives.) 2. Given a function f(x,y): ∂ y 1 a. = etc. ∂ f ∂ f x ∂ y x ∂ f ∂ y ∂ x b.
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