The Joule expansion (also called free expansion) is an irreversible process in thermodynamics in which a volume of gas is kept in one side of a thermally isolated container (via a small partition), with the other side of the container being evacuated. The partition between the two parts of the container is then opened, and the gas fills the whole container.
The Joule expansion, treated as a thought experiment involving ideal gases, is a useful exercise in classical thermodynamics. It provides a convenient example for calculating changes in thermodynamic quantities, including the resulting increase...