Question

What is meant by the isentropic process?

Answer 1

If one knows what an adiabatic system, reversible system, and entropy are, this question can be easily solved. An adiabatic process is a process that does not involve the transfer of mass or heat in between the system and its surroundings. A process is said to be reversible if the process can be reversed back to its original state without any change in the surroundings or the universe. Entropy is essentially the measure of the randomness of a system.

Complete step-by-step solution:
An isentropic process, in thermodynamics essentially, is an idealized process that is both adiabatic and reversible. In an isentropic system, there is no net transfer of matter or heat. This is an idealized process that does not occur in reality. A process that is both adiabatic and reversible implies that its initial and final entropies are the same.
An isentropic process essentially implies that the entropy of the system does not change. That is the initial and final entropy of the system remains the same.
Theoretical examples of isentropic thermodynamic systems are turbines, pumps, and gas compressors.

Note: Just like the isentropic process which implies that the entropy is constant other processes imply a particular thermodynamic quantity is constant. Some of them are the isochoric process, isobaric process, and isotropic process. In an isochoric process, the volume in the system remains constant while in an isobaric system it’s the pressure that remains unchanged. The temperature remains the same throughout the process in the isotropic process.