Helmholtz function

noun

1. 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.

Helmholtz function

/ ˈhɛlmhɔlts /

noun

1. a thermodynamic property of a system equal to the difference between its internal energy and the product of its temperature and its entropy AF Also calledHelmholtz free energy

Word History and Origins

Origin of Helmholtz function¹

First recorded in 1900–05; named after H. L. F. von Helmholtz

Word History and Origins

Origin of Helmholtz function¹

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