DISSIPATION

Dissipation

Dissipation is the result of irreversible processes that take place in inhomogeneous thermodynamic systems. A dissipative process is a process in which energy is transformed from some initial form to some final form; the capacity of the final form to do mechanical work is less than that of the initial form. For example, transfer of energy as heat is dissipative because it is a transfer of internal energy from a hotter body to a colder one. The second law of thermodynamics, which states that the entropy of a system never decreases, implies that this reduces the capacity of the combination of the two bodies to do mechanical work.

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dissipation

Noun

  1. The act of dissipating or dispersing; a state of dispersion or separation; dispersion; waste.
  2. A dissolute course of life, in which health, money, etc., are squandered in pursuit of pleasure; profuseness in vicious indulgence, as late hours, riotous living, etc.; dissoluteness.
  3. A trifle which wastes time or distracts attention.
  4. A loss of energy, usually as heat, from a dynamic system


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: dissipation
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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