Additivity of thermodynamic potentials?

In summary, the additivity of thermodynamic potentials refers to the principle that the total thermodynamic potential of a system can be expressed as the sum of the potentials of its individual components. This concept is crucial in understanding the behavior of multi-component systems, where the overall energy, Gibbs free energy, Helmholtz free energy, and other potentials can be derived from the contributions of each component. This additivity allows for simplified calculations in thermodynamics, enabling predictions of system behavior under various conditions.
  • #1
heyhey281
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Homework Statement
Two ideal gases, e.g. helium and argon with NA and NB atoms, are mixed, NA + NB = 1 mol. Determine the helmholtz energy of the entire system.
Relevant Equations
F = E - TS
My professor said that F is not additive, meaning F ≠ F1 + F2, where F1 is the helmholtz energy of system 1 and F2 is the helmholtz energy of system 2. So my question is, how can I decide wether a thermodynamic potential (F, H, G) is additive or not?
 
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  • #2
If the two systems have the same temperature and have a negligible interaction energy, then F additive.
 

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