If is the work done in compressing an ideal gas from a given initial state through a certain volume isothermally and is the work done in compressing the same gas from the same initial state through the same volume adiabatically, then:
For an ideal gas, the work done in an isothermal compression (Wâ‚) is less than the work done in an adiabatic compression (Wâ‚‚) for the same volume change. This is because in the adiabatic case, the gas also gains internal energy due to the work done against intermolecular forces, making Wâ‚‚ greater than Wâ‚.