An introductory textbook presenting the key concepts and applications of thermodynamics, including numerous worked examples and exercises.

Essentials of Thermodynamics offers a fresh perspective on classical thermodynamics and its explanation of natural phenomena. It combines fundamental principles with applications to offer an integrated resource for students, teachers and experts alike. The essence of classic texts has been distilled to give a balanced and in-depth treatment, including a detailed history of ideas which explains how thermodynamics evolved without knowledge of the underlying atomic structure of matter. The principles are illustrated by a vast range of applications, such as osmotic pressure, how solids melt and liquids boil, the incredible race to reach absolute zero, and the modern theme of the renormalization group. Topics are handled using a variety of techniques, which helps readers see how concepts such as entropy and free energy can be applied to many situations, and in diverse ways. The book has a large number of solved examples and problems in each chapter, as well as a carefully selected guide to further reading. The treatment of traditional topics like the three laws of thermodynamics, Carnot cycles, Clapeyron equation, phase equilibria, and dilute solutions is considerably more detailed than usual. For example, the chapter on Carnot cycles discusses exotic cases like the photon cycle along with more practical ones like the Otto, Diesel and Rankine cycles. There is a chapter on critical phenomena that is modern and yet highly pedagogical and contains a first principles calculation of the critical exponents of Van der Waals systems. Topics like entropy constants, surface thermodynamics, and superconducting phase transitions are explained in depth while maintaining accessibility for different readers.

This textbook is for a one semester introductory course in thermodynamics, primarily for use in a mechanical or aerospace engineering program, although it could also be used in an engineering science curriculum. The book contains a section on the geometry of curves and surfaces, in order to review those parts of calculus that are needed in thermodynamics for interpolation and in discussing thermodynamic equations of state of simple substances. It presents the First Law of Thermodynamics as an equation for the time rate of change of system energy, the same way that Newton’s Law of Motion, an equation for the time rate of change of system momentum, is presented in Dynamics. Moreover, this emphasis illustrates the importance of the equation to the study of heat transfer and fluid mechanics. New thermodynamic properties, such as internal energy and entropy, are introduced with a motivating discussion rather than by abstract postulation, and connection is made with kinetic theory. Thermodynamic properties of the vaporizable liquids needed for the solution of practical thermodynamic problems (e.g. water and various refrigerants) are presented in a unique tabular format that is both simple to understand and easy to use. All theoretical discussions throughout the book are accompanied by worked examples illustrating their use in practical devices. These examples of the solution of various kinds of thermodynamic problems are all structured in exactly the same way in order to make, as a result of the repetitions, the solution of new problems easier for students to follow, and ultimately, to produce themselves. Many additional problems are provided, half of them with answers, for students to do on their own.

Ideal for one- or two-semester courses that assume elementary knowledge of calculus, This text presents the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics and applies these to problems dealing with properties of materials, phase transformations, chemical reactions, solutions and surfaces. The author utilizes principles of statistical mechanics to illustrat

This book is an excellent companion to Chemical Thermodynamics: Principles and Applications. Together they make a complete reference set for the practicing scientist. This volume extends the range of topics and applications to ones that are not usually covered in a beginning thermodynamics text. In a sense, the book covers a "middle ground" between the basic principles developed in a beginning thermodynamics textbook, and the very specialized applications that are a part of an ongoing research project. As such, it could prove invaluable to the practicing scientist who needs to apply thermodynamic relationships to aid in the understanding of the chemical process under consideration. The writing style in this volume remains informal, but more technical than in Principles and Applications. It starts with Chapter 11, whichsummarizes the thermodynamic relationships developed in this earlier volume. For those who want or need more detail, references are given tothe sections in Principles and Applications where one could go to learn more about the development, limitations, and conditions where these equations apply. This is the only place where Advanced Applications ties back to the previous volume. Chapter 11 can serve as a review of the fundamental thermodynamic equations that are necessary for the more sophisticated applications described in the remainder of this book. This may be all that is necessary for the practicing scientist who has been away from the field for some time and needs some review. The remainder of this book applies thermodynamics to the description of a variety of problems. The topics covered are those that are probably of the most fundamental and broadest interest. Throughout the book, examples of "real" systems are used as much as possible. This is in contrast to many books where "generic" examples are used almost exclusively. A complete set of references to all sources of data and to supplementary reading sources is included. Problems are given at the end of each chapter. This makes the book ideally suited for use as a textbook in an advanced topics course in chemical thermodynamics. - An excellent review of thermodynamic principles and mathematical relationships along with references to the relevant sections in Principles and Applications where these equations are developed - Applications of thermodynamics in a wide variety of chemical processes, including phase equilibria, chemical equilibrium, properties of mixtures, and surface chemistry - Case-study approach to demonstrate the application of thermodynamics to biochemical, geochemical, and industrial processes - Applications at the "cutting edge" of thermodynamics - Examples and problems to assist in learning - Includes a complete set of references to all literature sources

A thorough exploration of the universal principles of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, this volume takes an applications-oriented approach to a multitude of situations arising in physics and engineering. 1987 edition.

From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas or the cooling of a hot metal, to the unfolding of a thought in our minds and even the course of life itself, everything is governed by the four Laws of Thermodynamics. These laws specify the nature of 'energy' and 'temperature', and are soon revealed to reach out and define the arrow of time itself: why things change and why death must come. In this Very Short Introduction Peter Atkins explains the basis and deeper implications of each law, highlighting their relevance in everyday examples. Using the minimum of mathematics, he introduces concepts such as entropy, free energy, and to the brink and beyond of the absolute zero temperature. These are not merely abstract ideas: they govern our lives. In this concise and compelling introduction Atkins paints a lucid picture of the four elegant laws that, between them, drive the Universe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The aim of this book is to present Classical Thermodynamics in a unified way, from the most fundamental principles to non-uniform systems, thereby requiring the introduction of coarse graining methods, leading for instance to phase field methods. Solutions thermodynamics and temperature-concentration phase diagrams are covered, plus also a brief introduction to statistical thermodynamics and topological disorder. The Landau theory is included along with a general treatment of multicomponent instabilities in various types of thermodynamic applications, including phase separation and order-disorder transitions. Nucleation theory and spinodal decomposition are presented as extreme cases of a single approach involving the all-important role of fluctuations.In this way, it is hoped that this coverage will reconcile in a unified manner techniques generally presented separately in physics and materials texts.

Thermodynamics is a self-contained analysis of physical and chemical processes, based on classical thermodynamic principles. Emphasis is placed on the fundamental principles, with a conbination of theory and practice, and demonstrating their application to a variety of disciplines. Included in this work are new approaches to irreversible processes, electromagnetic effects, adsorption phenomena, self-assembly, the origin of phase diagrams, critical phenomena, and Carathéodory's treatment of the second law. This book will appeal to graduate students and professional chemists and physicists who wish to acquire a more sophisticated overview of thermodynamics and related subject matter. Easy-to-understand style appeals to both chemists and physicists Discusses treatment of electromagnetic phenomena and adsorption of surface gases surfaces Extensively revised to cater for advanced courses in thermodynamics