Entropic considerations in the two-capacitor problem

oleh: V.O.M. Lara, A.P. Lima, A. Costa

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Sociedade Brasileira de FĂ­sica

Deskripsi

We study the well-known two-capacitor problem from a new perspective, focusing on the thermodynamic aspects of the discharge process. The free electron gas model is used to describe the electrons’ energy levels in both capacitors in the low temperature regime. We assume an isothermal heat exchange between the resistor and the heat reservoir. Even in this limiting case, we obtain a positive entropy variation due to the discharge, which points out the irreversibility of this process.