disszipatív

Disszipatív is a term used in physics and engineering to describe systems or processes where energy is lost or dissipated into unusable forms, most commonly as heat. This dissipation is often due to friction, resistance, or other irreversible phenomena. A perfectly non-dissipative system would theoretically conserve all its energy indefinitely, which is an idealization rarely found in the real world.

In mechanical systems, friction between moving parts is a primary source of dissipation. For example, when a car's brakes are applied, the kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted into heat through friction between the brake pads and rotors. Similarly, air resistance, or drag, dissipates energy from moving objects like airplanes and cyclists. Electrical circuits also exhibit dissipative behavior due to the resistance of conductors, which converts electrical energy into heat according to Joule's law.

Thermodynamics places a significant emphasis on dissipativity. The second law of thermodynamics states that in any spontaneous process, the total entropy of an isolated system can only increase or remain constant; it never decreases. This increase in entropy is often linked to energy dissipation, as the universe tends towards a state of greater disorder and less available useful energy. Dissipative processes are fundamental to understanding the efficiency of engines, the behavior of fluids, and the evolution of complex systems. While often seen as a loss, controlled dissipation can also be engineered for beneficial effects, such as damping vibrations in structures or controlling the flow of heat.