Thermodynamic Potentials and Natural Variables
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Revista Brasileira de Ensino de Física, vol. 42, e20190127 (2020) Articles www.scielo.br/rbef cb DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1806-9126-RBEF-2019-0127 Licença Creative Commons Thermodynamic Potentials and Natural Variables M. Amaku1,2, F. A. B. Coutinho*1, L. N. Oliveira3 1Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, Brasil 2Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil 3Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brasil Received on May 30, 2019. Revised on September 13, 2018. Accepted on October 4, 2019. Most books on Thermodynamics explain what thermodynamic potentials are and how conveniently they describe the properties of physical systems. Certain books add that, to be useful, the thermodynamic potentials must be expressed in their “natural variables”. Here we show that, given a set of physical variables, an appropriate thermodynamic potential can always be defined, which contains all the thermodynamic information about the system. We adopt various perspectives to discuss this point, which to the best of our knowledge has not been clearly presented in the literature. Keywords: Thermodynamic Potentials, natural variables, Legendre transforms. 1. Introduction same statement cannot be applied to the temperature. In real fluids, even in simple ones, the proportionality Basic concepts are most easily understood when we dis- to T is washed out, and the Internal Energy is more cuss simple systems. Consider an ideal gas in a cylinder. conveniently expressed as a function of the entropy and The cylinder is closed, its walls are conducting, and a volume: U = U(S, V ). fluid at fixed temperature T surrounds it. The cylinder Experimentalists frown at this dependence, for en- contains a fixed number N of particles. Its volume V can tropies are more difficult to measure than temperatures. nonetheless be varied, by means of a plunger. We push Moreover, they may have to let the plunger move back the plunger and do work on the gas. Heat flows out to and forth and adjust the cylinder pressure to that of the maintain the gas at the temperature T . If, instead, we environment. They would therefore prefer the variables slowly pull out the plunger, heats flows inwards. P and T , instead of S and V . In experiments, the pressure P applied to the plunger At this point, it would seem natural to say “Very well, can be controlled, and the fluid temperature T can also let us make the experimentalist happy. Determine the be controlled. The variables P , T and V are not indepen- entropy and volume as functions of T and P . Since U is dent. It has been known for centuries that this system known as a function of S and V , all we have to do, then, approximately obeys an equation of state, which binds is to substitute S(T,P ) and V (T,P ) for S and V . The the three variables: result will be U[S(T,P ),V (T,P )], which expresses U as a function of T and P .” PV = Nk T, B (1) But then we would be at odds with good textbooks, which prefer to define another extensive quantity, on where kB is Boltzmann’s constant. equal footing with the internal energy: the Gibbs Free One might think that Eq. (1) is all we need to describe Energy G(T,P ), a function of the experimentalist’s fa- the ideal gas. The equation of state, nonetheless, tells us vorite variables. The Internal Energy and the Gibbs Free nothing about other important properties of the system. Energy are thermodynamic potentials. As we shall see, a The Internal Energy U rises or drops as the temperature simple expression relates G(T,P ) to U(S, V ). The Gibbs changes. We might also be interested in the entropy S, Free Energy G must be expressed as a function of T and so forth. and P , just like the Free Energy U must be expressed The ideal gas is a mathematical concept: a collection as a function of S and V . The temperature T and the of particles moving independently from each other and pressure P are called the natural variables of G. The bouncing elastically off the cylinder walls. The simple dy- natural variables of U are S and V . namics makes U directly proportional to the temperature Once again, our inner voice interrupts the train of and number of particles. The proportionality to N, a vari- thoughts to argue in favor of the experimentalist: “This able that—except as explicitly indicated—we will keep is all very well, but G is obtained from U. Therefore, in fixed, is an inherent property of the internal energy. The order to compute G(T,P ), we will first have to express *Endereço de correspondência: [email protected]. the entropy and volume as functions of temperature and Copyright by Sociedade Brasileira de Física. Printed in Brazil. e20190127-2 Thermodynamic Potentials and Natural Variables pressure to compute U[S(T,P ),V (T,P )]. Our friend, the and the pressure experimentalist, wants the Internal Energy as a function ∂U(S, V ) ∂U of T and P . So give her U[S(T,P ),V (T,P )]. Why waste P = − ≡ − . (4) ∂V ∂V time computing G(T,P )? Who needs the Gibbs Free S Energy?” Here we have adopted the traditional notation [2, 4], Textbooks on Thermodynamics define the thermody- which explicitly indicates the fixed quantity defining namic potentials and associate them with their natural the partial derivative. Since we work with fixed number variables. A few texts offer indirect answers to the two of particles, to simplify the notation we have avoided questions we have posed. To explain why S and P are the adding a second, redundant subscript N to the partial natural variables of the Enthalpy, Schroeder shows that derivatives. changes in H have simple physical interpretation when In view of Eq. (3), T and S are said to be conjugate the pressure is held fixed [1]. To explain why T and P are variables. Likewise, in view of Eq. (4), P and V are the natural variables of the Gibbs Free Energy, Callen conjugates. In a conjugate pair, one of the variables (T or shows that, for a system in contact with a pressure and P ) is intensive, independent of the number of particles, a temperature reservoirs, the equilibrium value of any of while the other (S or V ) grows in proportion to the its internal parameters will minimize G at the reservoir number of particles and is, hence, extensive. pressure and temperature [2]. Callen also explains that The dependence on extensive variables makes U some- information is lost when a thermodynamic potential is what special among the thermodynamic potentials. That expressed not as a function of its natural variables, but the Internal Energy is a (single-valued) convex function as a function of its derivative with respect to those vari- of all its natural variables, S and V , was first pointed ables [2]. To prop up the argument, the author presents a out by Gibbs. Given the convexity and that S and V are geometrical depiction of this problem and of its solution extensive, it is a simple matter to derive the Second Law by means of Lagrange Transformations. This explanation of Thermodynamics, as recalled by Wightman, in a re- pleases experienced teachers. To the same extent, it dis- markably clear, succinct account of Gibbs’s reasoning [5]. appoints the students, who often regard the illustration The other thermodynamic potentials cannot be directly as an abstract solution to an abstruse conundrum. related to the Second Law because they depend on one or The purpose of this paper is to answer the two more intensive variables; while they are convex functions questions directly, in a physical setting, that is, of the extensive variables, they are concave function of to explain why it is better to work with G(T,P ) the intensive ones [2]. than with U[S(T,P ),V (T,P )]. We will show that Nonetheless, practical considerations often focus one’s U[T,P ] ≡ U[S(T,P ),V (T,P )] conveys less information interest on intensive variables. One must then turn to than U(S, V ), or G(T,P ). In order to preserve informa- thermodynamic potentials other than U(S, V ). We have tion, we have to express each thermodynamic potential already discussed one of them, the Gibbs Free Energy as a function of its natural variables. Conversely, the vari- G(T,P ). Since we have four variables (S, V , T , and P ), ables of interest uniquely determine the thermodynamic there must be more than two thermodynamic potentials, potential. In our example, the experimentalist would like and can ask for the number of alternatives. to work with T and P . She should then ask for G(T,P ), As illustrated by Eq. (2), the differential of a thermo- not for U(T,P ). dynamic potential is a linear combination comprising the differentials of its natural variables; the linear coefficients are the conjugates to the natural variables. Out of the 2. Four thermodynamic potentials two conjugate pairs (S, T ) and (V, P ), we can construct four pairs of natural variables: (i) S and V , (ii) S and P , As explained in Sec. 1, four physical variables are as- (iii) T and V , and (iv) T and P . We have, therefore, four sociated with the gas in the cylinder: T , P , S, and V . thermodynamic potentials. Two of them were introduced When these variables are increased or reduced, the ther- in Sec.