A To Z Of Thermodynamics

The title is a perfect description. Arranged alphabetically this book explains the words and phrases that crop up in thermodynamics. The author does this without resorting to pages of mathematics and algebra: the author's main aim is to explain and clarify the jargon and concepts.Thermodynamics is often difficult and confusing for students. The author knows this after 20 years of teaching and does something about it with this dictionary.

Statistical thermodynamics plays a vital linking role between quantum theory and chemical thermodynamics, yet students often find the subject unpalatable. In this updated version of a popular text, the authors overcome this by emphasising the concepts involved, in particular demystifying the partition function. They do not get bogged down in the mathematical niceties that are essential for a profound study of the subject but which can confuse the beginner. Strong emphasis is placed on the physical basis of statistical thermodynamics and the relations with experiment. After a clear exposition of the distribution laws, partition functions, heat capacities, chemical equilibria and kinetics, the subject is further illuminated by a discussion of low-temperature phenomena and spectroscopy. The coverage is brought right up to date with a chapter on computer simulation and a final section which ranges beyond the narrow limits usually associated with student texts to emphasise the common dependence of macroscopic behaviour on the properties of constituent atoms and molecules. Since first published in 1974 as ‘Entropy and Energy Levels’, the book has been very popular with students. This revised and updated version will no doubt serve the same needs.

Accompanying CD-ROM contains ... "computer tests and laboratories."--CD-ROM label.

The first volume of this work is organized in three levels, so that the portion and importance of thermodynamics and mathematics increase from level to level. The ground level shows that basics of phase equilibria can be understood without thermodynamics provided the concept of chemical potential is introduced early. The intermediate level introduces thermodynamics, culminating in the Gibbs energy as the arbiter for equilibrium. At the third level the accent is on binary systems, where one or more phases are solutions of the components. Priority is given throughout to the thermodynamic assessment of experimental data. 200 exercises are included with solutions.

This book is designed for use in an introductory course in thermodynamics. It is aimed at students of Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, and Engineering. As an undergraduate text, it gives a clear description of the theoretical framework of thermodynamics, while providing specific examples of its use in a wide variety of problems. These examples include topics that are atypical of undergraduate texts, such as biological systems, atmospheric phenomena, and polymers. The narrative is infused with historical notes on the characters who make up the story of thermodynamics, enlivening the material while keeping the reader engaged.

This textbook is a general introduction to chemical thermodynamics.