Practice question
Question
Which factor primarily causes irreversibility in a process involving friction?
Explanation
**Modes of energy transfer** work is force times displacement, e.g., gas expansion W = P ΔV, heat is due to temperature gradient, internal energy change same for different combinations of Q and W, e.g., same ΔU can be achieved by adding heat at constant volume or doing work adiabatically, illustrating equivalence but distinction in mechanism. Friction converts mechanical energy into heat (dissipation), increasing the system’s or surroundings’ internal energy irreversibly. This energy cannot be fully recovered as work, violating reversibility. Using first law ΔU = Q - W, W = ∫ P dV, isobaric W = P ΔV, isothermal W = n R T ln(V₂/V₁),
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