Tömöríthetsége

Tömöríthetsége, often translated as compressibility, is a thermodynamic property that describes the relative change in volume of a fluid or solid in response to a change in pressure. It quantifies how much a substance can be squeezed or expanded under varying pressures while keeping its temperature constant. Mathematically, it is defined as the reciprocal of the bulk modulus, which is a measure of a substance's resistance to uniform compression.

A high compressibility indicates that a substance's volume changes significantly with pressure variations. Conversely, low compressibility means the substance is resistant to volume changes under pressure. Gases are generally highly compressible due to the large spaces between their molecules, allowing them to occupy much smaller volumes when pressure increases. Liquids are less compressible than gases but more compressible than solids. Solids, with their tightly packed molecules and strong intermolecular forces, exhibit very low compressibility.

The concept of compressibility is crucial in various scientific and engineering fields. In fluid dynamics, it influences the behavior of gases in pipelines, aircraft wings, and engine combustion. In materials science, it helps in understanding the mechanical behavior of solids under stress and in designing materials for specific applications. For instance, understanding the compressibility of materials is vital in designing hydraulic systems, where liquids are used to transmit power, and in geotechnical engineering, where the compressibility of soil affects the stability of structures. Isothermal compressibility, measured at constant temperature, and adiabatic compressibility, measured during rapid compression where heat exchange is negligible, are two common forms.