Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2001/paper-2/10/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2001 Paper 2 10 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
If for a twice continuously differentiable potential , then and . Equality of mixed partial derivatives gives the necessary condition for an exact differential:This condition alone does not ensure global exactness on a domain with holes.
For the Helmholtz free energy , use the stated identity for internal energy and the product rule:Thus and . Equality of mixed partial derivatives yields the Maxwell relationThe temperature and volume are the independent variables here, with composition and amount of gas fixed.
Next express and substitute its total differential into :Matching the coefficient of givesThis is the thermodynamic internal pressure identity: an equation of state determines how internal energy changes under an isothermal change of volume.
For the Dieterici equation, set while differentiating at fixed . ThenSubstitute into the thermodynamic internal pressure identity. The term proportional to cancels , leavingThe physical gas domain has and .
For the ideal gas instead, gives . Therefore is independent of volume at fixed amount of gas. Integrating the remaining condition , with constant heat capacity at constant volume, giveswhere is independent of both and and fixes the reference for internal energy.
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