Twenty Lectures On Thermodynamics

Twenty Lectures on Thermodynamics is a course of lectures, parts of which the author has given various times over the last few years. The book gives the readers a bird's eye view of phenomenological and statistical thermodynamics. The book covers many areas in thermodynamics such as states and transition; adiabatic isolation; irreversibility; the first, second, third and Zeroth laws of thermodynamics; entropy and entropy law; the idea of the application of thermodynamics; pseudo-states; the quantum-static al canonical and grand canonical ensembles; and semi-classical gaseous systems. The text is recommended for physics students who are in need of a basic yet effective knowledge in the foundations of thermodynamics, as the book explains its many concepts in such an elementary and pedagogic manner, giving the readers a greater understanding of the core of the subject.

This textbook facilitates students’ ability to apply fundamental principles and concepts in classical thermodynamics to solve challenging problems relevant to industry and everyday life. It also introduces the reader to the fundamentals of statistical mechanics, including understanding how the microscopic properties of atoms and molecules, and their associated intermolecular interactions, can be accounted for to calculate various average properties of macroscopic systems. The author emphasizes application of the fundamental principles outlined above to the calculation of a variety of thermodynamic properties, to the estimation of conversion efficiencies for work production by heat interactions, and to the solution of practical thermodynamic problems related to the behavior of non-ideal pure fluids and fluid mixtures, including phase equilibria and chemical reaction equilibria. The book contains detailed solutions to many challenging sample problems in classical thermodynamics and statistical mechanics that will help the reader crystallize the material taught. Class-tested and perfected over 30 years of use by nine-time Best Teaching Award recipient Professor Daniel Blankschtein of the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT, the book is ideal for students of Chemical and Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, and Materials Science, who will benefit greatly from in-depth discussions and pedagogical explanations of key concepts. Distills critical concepts, methods, and applications from leading full-length textbooks, along with the author’s own deep understanding of the material taught, into a concise yet rigorous graduate and advanced undergraduate text; Enriches the standard curriculum with succinct, problem-based learning strategies derived from the content of 50 lectures given over the years in the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT; Reinforces concepts covered with detailed solutions to illuminating and challenging homework problems.

Modern thermodynamics is a unique but still not a logically self-consistent field of knowledge. It has a proven universal applicability and significance but its actual potential is still latent. The development of the foundations of thermodynamics was in effect non-stop but absolutely no one has any idea about this. This book is the first of its kind that will motivate researchers to build up a logically consistent field of thermodynamics. It greatly appreciates the actual depth and potential of thermodynamics which might also be of interest to readers in history and philosophy of scientific research. The book presents the life stories of the protagonists in detail and allows readers to cast a look at the whole scene of the field by showcasing a significant number of their colleagues whose works have fittingly complemented their achievements. It also tries to trigger a detailed analysis of the reasons why the actual work in this extremely important field has in effect gone astray. It comprises five chapters and introduces three scientists in the first two chapters, which are specifically devoted to the Scandinavian achievements in macroscopic thermodynamics. These introductions are novel and call for a detailed reconsideration of the field. The third chapter acquaints the readers with their fourth colleague in Germany who was working on the proper link between the macroscopic thermodynamics, kinetics, and the atomistic representation of matter. The fourth chapter brings in their fifth colleague in the United States who could formally infer the famous formula S = k * ln(W), ingeniously guessed by Ludwig Boltzmann, and thus clarify the physical sense of the entropy notion. The last chapter summarizes the above-mentioned discourses.

Phases of Matter and their Transitions An all-in-one, comprehensive take on matter and its phase properties In Phases of Matter and their Transitions, accomplished materials scientist Dr. Gijsbertus de With delivers an accessible textbook for advanced students in the molecular sciences. It offers a balanced and self-contained treatment of the thermodynamic and structural aspects of phases and the transitions between them, covering solids, liquids, gases, and their interfaces. The book lays the groundwork to describe particles and their interactions from the perspective of classical and quantum mechanics and compares phenomenological and statistical thermodynamics. It also examines materials with special properties, like glasses, liquid crystals, and ferroelectrics. The author has included an extensive appendix with a guide to the mathematics and theoretical models employed in this resource. Readers will also find: Thorough introductions to classical and quantum mechanics, intermolecular interactions, and continuum mechanics Comprehensive explorations of thermodynamics, gases, liquids, and solids Practical discussions of surfaces, including their general aspects for solids and liquids Fulsome treatments of discontinuous and continuous transitions, including discussions of irreversibility and the return to equilibrium Perfect for advanced students in chemistry and physics, Phases of Matter and their Transitions will also earn a place in the libraries of students of materials science.

Energy is a basic human need; technologies for energy conversion and use are fundamental to human survival. As energy technology evolves to meet demands for development and ecological sustainability in the 21st century, engineers need to have up-to-date skills and knowledge to meet the creative challenges posed by current and future energy problems. Further, engineers need to cultivate a commitment to and passion for lifelong learning which will enable us to actively engage new developments in the field. This undergraduate textbook companion seeks to develop these capacities in tomorrow's engineers in order to provide for future energy needs around the world. This book is designed to complement traditional texts in engineering thermodynamics, and thus is organized to accompany explorations of the First and Second Laws, fundamental property relations, and various applications across engineering disciplines. It contains twenty modules targeted toward meeting five often-neglected ABET outcomes: ethics, communication, lifelong learning, social context, and contemporary issues. The modules are based on pedagogies of liberation, used for decades in the humanities and social sciences for instilling critical thinking and reflective action in students by bringing attention to power relations in the classroom and in the world. This book is intended to produce a conversation and creative exploration around how to teach and learn thermodynamics differently. Because liberative pedagogies are at their heart relational, it is important to maintain spaces for discussing classroom practices with these modules, and for sharing ideas for implementing critical pedagogies in engineering contexts. Table of Contents: What and Why? / The First Law: Making Theory Relevant / The Second Law and Property Relations / Thinking Big Picture about Energy and Sustainability