Similarly, one needs a naming convention to describe types of processes.
Notice that adiabatic appears in both the definitions of systems and processes--it is used interchangeably. Adiabatic systems are those that have adiabatic boundaries which are defined by not being able to conduct heat. An adiabatic process is one that occurs without the transfer of heat.
Question: Considering a sheet of glass as a system, what kind of process is dropping and letting it crash onto the floor?
Question: Considering a bathroom scale, what kind of process is stepping onto it?
The definition of an adiabatic process allows an alternative definition of the first law:
| First Law of Thermodynamics: Version 2 |
| The work done on a system during an adiabatic process is a state function and numerically equal to the change in internal energy of the system. |