Dissipáció

Dissipáció is a term used in various scientific fields to describe the irreversible dissipation of energy. In thermodynamics, it refers to the conversion of useful energy into less useful forms, typically heat, due to processes like friction, viscosity, or electrical resistance. This process leads to an increase in entropy within a system, making it impossible to fully recover the original energy.

In physics, particularly in the study of waves and oscillations, dissipation describes the gradual loss of energy from a system over time. This can occur through mechanisms like damping, where the amplitude of oscillations decreases due to energy being transferred to the surrounding environment. Examples include the slowing down of a pendulum due to air resistance or the decay of sound waves as they travel through a medium.

In the context of fluid dynamics, dissipation refers to the irreversible conversion of kinetic energy into thermal energy through viscous forces. As a fluid flows, internal friction between adjacent layers of the fluid causes energy to be lost, often appearing as heat. This process is crucial in understanding phenomena like turbulence and the energy budget of complex fluid systems.

The concept of dissipation is fundamental to understanding the behavior of many physical systems and the directionality of natural processes, which tend towards increasing disorder and a more uniform distribution of energy.