Kompresszibilitás

Kompresszibilitás, often translated as compressibility, is a measure of how much the volume of a given mass of a substance decreases when subjected to an increase in pressure. It is an intrinsic property of matter and is particularly relevant in fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. Mathematically, compressibility is often expressed as the reciprocal of the bulk modulus, which represents the resistance of a fluid to uniform compression. A highly compressible substance will experience a significant change in volume under pressure, while a less compressible substance will show a more modest volume change.

The compressibility of a substance is influenced by factors such as temperature and the state of matter. Gases are generally highly compressible due to the large spaces between their molecules. Liquids are less compressible than gases but more compressible than solids. Solids are typically considered to be nearly incompressible under normal conditions. In practical applications, compressibility is a crucial consideration in the design of hydraulic systems, the behavior of gases in storage tanks, and the study of shock waves. Understanding compressibility helps predict how materials will behave under varying pressures and is fundamental to many scientific and engineering disciplines.