A Student's Guide to Entropy

Don S. Lemons

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781107011564
• eBook ISBN: 9781107453609
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Mathematical & Computational Physics

Striving to explore the subject in as simple a manner as possible, this book helps readers understand the elusive concept of entropy. Innovative aspects of the book include the construction of statistical entropy from desired properties, the derivation of the entropy of classical systems from purely classical assumptions, and a statistical thermodynamics approach to the ideal Fermi and ideal Bose gases. Derivations are worked through step-by-step and important applications are highlighted in over 20 worked examples. Around 50 end-of-chapter exercises test readers' understanding. The book also features a glossary giving definitions for all essential terms, a time line showing important developments, and list of books for further study. It is an ideal supplement to undergraduate courses in physics, engineering, chemistry and mathematics.

Table of contents

• Cover
• A Student’s Guide to Entropy
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• 1 Thermodynamic entropy
• 2 Statistical entropy
• 3 Entropy of classical systems
• 4 Entropy of quantized systems
• 5 Entropy of a non-isolated system
• 6 Entropy of fermion systems
• 7 Entropy of systems of bosons
• 8 Entropy of information
• Epilogue
• Appendix I Physical constants and standard definitions
• Appendix II Formulary
• Appendix III Glossary
• Appendix IV Time line
• Appendix V Answers to problems
• Appendix VI Annotated further reading
• Index