Helmholtz function

noun

the thermodynamic function of a system that is equal to its internal energy minus the product of its absolute temperature and entropy: A decrease in the function is equal to the maximum amount of work available during a reversible isothermal process.

Origin of Helmholtz function

named after H. L. F. von Helmholtz

Also called Helmholtz free energy, work function.

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British Dictionary definitions for helmholtz function

Helmholtz function

noun

a thermodynamic property of a system equal to the difference between its internal energy and the product of its temperature and its entropySymbol: A, F Also called: Helmholtz free energy

Word Origin for Helmholtz function

C20: named after Baron Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821–94), German physiologist, physicist, and mathematician

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012