My question:
>>> Aside from phase transitions, are there other isothermal processes
that result in an internal energy change? <<<
It is easy to find web pages that forget about phase transitions and
state that dT=0 => dU=0. I have also seen (at
<http://www.roymech.co.uk/Related/Thermos/Thermos_Thermodynamics.html>),
"It can be easily proved that the internal energy of a fluid depends on
the temperature alone and not upon changes in the pressure or volume."
Although I'm not up on my thermodynamics of solids, I suppose that the
point there is that a solid can harbor strain internal energy with no
change in temperature. Do I have that right? Are there other examples?
(I have a suspicion that magnetic fields might provide another example...)
Thanks,
--
Dr. James McLean phone: (585) 245-5897
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy FAX: (585) 245-5116
SUNY Geneseo email: mclean@geneseo.edu
1 College Circle web: http://www.geneseo.edu/~mclean
Geneseo, NY 14454-1401