Physics II / Thermodynamic Potentials and Maxwell Relations
Practice question · True or false

The Helmholtz free energy is the amount of energy stored in a system.

Hints
  1. Which of the four potentials is actually the stored energy?
  2. F is constructed so that its DECREASE measures the available work.
Show the answer

False

Why

False, only UU is the stored energy. F=UTSF = U - TS is built so that its decrease gives the maximum work extractable at fixed temperature; the TSTS term is the part that must be paid to the surroundings as heat.

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