Graphically show the total work done in an expansion when the state of an ideal gas is changed reversibly and isothermally from (pi, Vi) to (pf, Vf). With the help of a pV plot compare the work done in the above case with that carried out against a constant pressure pf.


Gibbs free energy is that thermodynamic quantity of a system, the decrease in whose value during a process is equal to the maximum possible useful work that can be obtained from the system.
Mathematically, this results may be derived as follows
The relationship between heat absorbed by a system q, the change in its internal energy, U and the work done by the system is given by the equation of the first law of thermodynamics, therefore,
q=U+Wexpansion+Wnon-expansion ........(i)
Under constant pressure condition, the expansion work is given by pV,
q=U+pV+Wnon-expansion    (U+pV=H)
=H+Wnon-expansion ...............(ii)
For a reversible change taking place at constant temperature,
S=qrevT or qrev=TS ...........(iii)
Substituting the value of q from Eq. (iii) in Eq. (ii), we get
TS=H+Wnon-expression
or H-TS=-Wnon-expression     .......(iv)
For a change taking place under conditions of constant temperature and pressure,
G=H-TS
Substituting this value in equation (iv), we get
G=-Wnon-expansion ............(v)
Thus, free energy change can be taken as a measure of work other than the work of expansion. For most changes, the work expansion can not be converted to other useful work, whereas the non-expansion work is convertible to useful work.
Rearranging equation (v), it may write as
-G=Wnon-expansion=Wuseful
As -G=Wuseful therefore, G has the same units as those of work i.e., joule
G=H-TS
If H=positive and S=positive, then
G will be negative i.e., process will be spontaneous only when TS>H in magnitude, which will be so when temperature is high.