Blundell Thermal Physics · Problem 26.4

Real gases

Physics — Statistical Mechanics · van-der-waals-isobaric-expansivity

Problem

Show that the isobaric expansivity

\beta_p

of the van der Waals gas is given by

\beta_p = \frac{1}{T}\left(1 + \frac{b}{V - b} - \frac{2a}{pV^2 + a}\right)^{-1}. \tag{26.65}

What happens to this quantity close to the critical point?