A Conceptual Guide to Thermodynamics

Bill Poirier

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781118840481
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is the science that describes the behavior of matter at the macroscopic scale, and how this arises from individual molecules. As such, it is a subject of profound practical and fundamental importance to many science and engineering fields. Despite extremely varied applications ranging from nanomotors to cosmology, the core concepts of thermodynamics such as equilibrium and entropy are the same across all disciplines.

A Conceptual Guide to Thermodynamics serves as a concise, conceptual and practical supplement to the major thermodynamics textbooks used in various fields. Presenting clear explanations of the core concepts, the book aims to improve fundamental understanding of the material, as well as homework and exam performance.

Distinctive features include:

• Terminology and Notation Key: A universal translator that addresses the myriad of conventions, terminologies, and notations found across the major thermodynamics texts.
• Content Maps: Specific references to each major thermodynamic text by section and page number for each new concept that is introduced.
• Helpful Hints and Don't Try Its: Numerous useful tips for solving problems, as well as warnings of common student pitfalls.
• Unique Explanations: Conceptually clear, mathematically fairly simple, yet also sufficiently precise and rigorous.

A more extensive set of reference materials, including older and newer editions of the major textbooks, as well as a number of less commonly used titles, is available online at http://www.conceptualthermo.com.

Undergraduate and graduate students of chemistry, physics, engineering, geosciences and biological sciences will benefit from this book, as will students preparing for graduate school entrance exams and MCATs.

Chapter 1
About This Book

Put yourself in the mindset of a 19th-century scientist—austere, heavily-bearded (see Appendix A), and intently focused on the “new” science of thermodynamics. One of your main practical motivations is steam engines—i.e., cylinders, pistons, boilers and the like—and specifically, how to improve their performance. It was in this engineering context that the field was born.

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It was not called “classical thermodynamics” just yet…

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Very quickly, however, the importance of thermodynamics in many other areas became widely recognized. It even gained a strong foothold in the popular culture and imagination of the day (see Appendix B). Today, thermodynamics has developed into a cornerstone subject for virtually every discipline of science and engineering.

Simply put, thermodynamics is the science that addresses how matter behaves at the macroscopic scale (i.e., at the ordinary scale of everyday human experience), and also how this behavior relates to the molecular scale (i.e., of individual molecules, nanoparticles, etc.) As such, it is a subject of profound practical as well as fundamental importance.

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From the Texts: Some authors prefer the terms “macro” or “bulk.”

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From the Texts: Some authors prefer the terms “micro” or “nano.”

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Thermodynamics is used, for example, to characterize the properties of new materials developed for specific applications—from hydrogen cars to wind turbines to fabrics. Machines built to provide mechanical work, to condition air, or to perform computations, all rely on thermodynamic principles to maximize their efficiency. Likewise, these same thermodynamic principles govern a great many processes observed in nature: from the smallest nanodevices to the whole universe itself; from ultrafast chemical and photophysical reactions to “ultraslow” geological transformations.

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not to mention the bioenergetics of living organisms, lying somewhere in the middle…

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But our job here is not really to explain to you how important thermodynamics is to your chosen discipline, nor to try to convince you that it’s “cool.” Our job is to lay a solid conceptual foundation for the subject, by clearly explaining and defining the core concepts (see Section 1.3), and clarifying the subtle—even insidious—distinctions that arise. As when building any stable edifice, success with thermodynamics, both in the classroom and in professional practice, requires a solid foundation. This means attaining both a conceptual and practical mastery of the fundamentals of the subject.

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From the Texts: Your primary textbook is there to do that.

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Such study may not seem fun and exciting, and at first glance may even appear extraneous to your chosen discipline. Don’t be fooled. Whatever your field of study, a careful consideration of the fundamentals early on in your thermodynamics (or related) course will generally lead later on to smoother sailing, less head-banging, and ultimately, better grades.

1.1 Who Should Use This Book?

As might be imagined, the various disciplines that train their students in thermodynamics tend to emphasize quite different aspects of this important subject. Despite this variety, the core thermodynamics concepts are the same across all disciplines; it is this common core that serves as the focus of this book.

As a general rule, if you are taking a thermodynamics or related course, and your primary textbook is listed either on p. xv of the Textbook Guide section, or on the companion website, then you are a good candidate for this supplement. (See the Preface for some specific examples of good candidates.)

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On the Website: http://www.conceptualthermo.com

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If you are an undergraduate chemistry or physics major, then this book is very well suited for your “Physical Chemistry” or “Thermal Physics" course, respectively. Graduate students in these disciplines who are preparing for their cumulative or qualifying examinations may also find the book to be of benefit, as will premed students preparing for the MCAT.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Textbook Guide
• Chapter 1: About This Book
• Part I: Equilibrium
• Part II: Energy
• Part III: Thermodynamic Change
• Part IV: Entropy
• Part V: Free Energy
• Part VI: Applications
• Part VII: Appendices
• Steampunk Gallery
• Travel Try Its
• Photo Credits
• Film
• Index
• Wiley End User License Agreement