The classical adiabatic constancy of PV gamma for an ideal gas as a quantum mechanical occurrence


Yarman T., Kholmetskii A. L., Korfali O.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES, vol.5, no.10, pp.1524-1529, 2010 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 5 Issue: 10
  • Publication Date: 2010
  • Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
  • Page Numbers: pp.1524-1529
  • Galatasaray University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In this paper, a connection between the long lasting macroscopic classical laws of gases and the quantum mechanical description of non-interacting particles confined in a box was found, thus constituting an ideal gas. In such a gas, the motion of each individual molecule can be considered to be independent of all other molecules, and the macroscopic parameters of an ideal gas, mainly, pressure P and temperature T, can be defined as simple average quantities based on individual motions of all molecules in consideration. It is shown that for an ideal gas enclosed in a macroscopic box of volume V, the constant gamma appearing in the classical law of adiabatic expansion law, that is, (PV gamma = constant), can be derived based on quantum mechanics. Physical implications of the result we disclose are discussed.