Disszipáció

Disszipáció is a term used in physics and engineering to describe the irreversible process by which energy is lost from a system, typically as heat, due to friction, resistance, or other dissipative forces. This lost energy is converted into a less useful form, often thermal energy, and is dissipated into the surroundings. Dissipation is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics, as it is directly related to the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the total entropy of an isolated system can only increase over time.

In mechanical systems, dissipation occurs through friction between moving parts. When objects rub against each other, kinetic energy is converted into heat, reducing the overall mechanical energy available for useful work. Electrical systems experience dissipation through electrical resistance, where the flow of electric current through a conductor generates heat. This phenomenon is exploited in heating elements but represents a loss of electrical energy that could otherwise be used for other purposes.

Similarly, in fluid dynamics, viscosity leads to dissipative forces, converting kinetic energy into heat as layers of fluid move past each other. Even in seemingly lossless systems, like electromagnetic waves propagating through a medium, there can be dissipation due to absorption by the medium, converting wave energy into heat. Understanding and quantifying dissipation is crucial for designing efficient machines and predicting the behavior of physical systems. While often viewed as a loss, dissipation is also a natural consequence of many physical processes.