isothermal vs adiabatic

Question

For ideal gas, adiabatic curve compared to isothermal is:

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

Consider the slopes ($dP/dV$) for both processes on a P-V diagram:
1. **Isothermal**: $PV = C \implies P = C/V$. Slope $= -P/V$.
2. **Adiabatic**: $PV^\gamma = C \implies P = C/V^\gamma$. Slope $= -\gamma (P/V)$.
Since $\gamma > 1$ (it is $5/3$ for monoatomic, $7/5$ for diatomic), the magnitude of the adiabatic slope is always greater than the isothermal slope. This means the adiabatic curve is **steeper**.

Rank Guru

isothermal vs adiabatic

Select the correct option: