Isolated Systems

[Nicole Nikolov 1K]

In an isolated system, are we assuming that it is constant volume? In class, Lavelle simply defined an isolated system as one that does exchange energy or matter with the surroundings...but if we change its volume, that means we are doing work on it and therefore changing the amount of energy it contains...

[Kyung_Jin_Kim_1H]

I don't think so because a piston in an isothermal chamber could allow for change in volume while still insulating it. So any changes in energy like a reaction releasing heat would be used up by the system as expansion work, for example.

[Joyce Gu 1E]

I think so because an isolated system is a closed system that cannot exchange energy with the surroundings, so I would assume that the system's volume remains constant.

[Troy Tavangar 1I]

Yes.