thermodynamics

Examples of thermodynamics in the following topics:

• The Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics

  • The Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics states that systems in thermal equilibrium are at the same temperature.
  • There are a few ways to state the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics, but the simplest is as follows: systems that are in thermal equilibrium exist at the same temperature.
  • What the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics means is that temperature is something worth measuring, because it indicates whether heat will move between objects.
  • However, according to the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics, if the systems are in thermal equilibrium, no heat flow will take place.
  • There are more formal ways to state the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics, which is commonly stated in the following manner:

• A Review of the Zeroth Law

  • Zeroth law justifies the use of thermodynamic temperature, defined as the shared temperature of three designated systems at equilibrium.
  • This law was postulated in the 1930s, after the first and second laws of thermodynamics had been developed and named.
  • This conclusion may seem obvious, because all three have the same temperature, but zeroth law is basic to thermodynamics.
  • A brief introduction to the zeroth and 1st laws of thermodynamics as well as PV diagrams for students.
  • Discuss how the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics justifies the use of thermodynamic temperature

• The First Law of Thermodynamics

  • The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can be transferred or transformed, but cannot be created or destroyed.
  • The first law of thermodynamics deals with the total amount of energy in the universe.
  • Thermodynamics often divides the universe into two categories: the system and its surroundings.
  • Another useful form of the first law of thermodynamics relates heat and work for the change in energy of the internal system:
  • A basic diagram showing the fundamental distinction between the system and its surroundings in thermodynamics.

• The Second Law

  • The second law of thermodynamics states that heat transfer occurs spontaneously only from higher to lower temperature bodies.
  • The second law of thermodynamics deals with the direction taken by spontaneous processes.
  • The law that forbids these processes is called the second law of thermodynamics .
  • A brief introduction to heat engines and thermodynamic concepts such as the Carnot Engine for students.
  • Contrast the concept of irreversibility between the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics

• The First Law

  • The 1st law of thermodynamics states that internal energy change of a system equals net heat transfer minus net work done by the system.
  • The first law of thermodynamics is a version of the law of conservation of energy specialized for thermodynamic systems.
  • In equation form, the first law of thermodynamics is
  • In this video I continue with my series of tutorial videos on Thermal Physics and Thermodynamics.
  • Explain how the net heat transferred and net work done in a system relate to the first law of thermodynamics

• The Three Laws of Thermodynamics

  • The laws of thermodynamics define fundamental physical quantities (temperature, energy, and entropy) that characterize thermodynamic systems.
  • In order to avoid confusion, scientists discuss thermodynamic values in reference to a system and its surroundings.
  • The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another.
  • The second law of thermodynamics says that the entropy of any isolated system always increases.
  • The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero.

• Comparison of Enthalpy to Internal Energy

  • Internal energy and enthalpy are both measurements that quantify the amount of energy present in a thermodynamic system.
  • A thermodynamic system can be any physical system with a well-defined volume in space.
  • In thermodynamics, the total energy contained by a given thermodynamic system is referred to the internal energy (U).
  • From a thermodynamic perspective, work can be done on or by the system; similarly, heat can be lost or gained by a particular system.
  • Because the internal energy encompasses only the energy contained within a thermodynamic system, the internal energy of isolated systems cannot change.

• LTE

  • An extremely useful assumption is that the matter is in thermal equilibrium at least locally (Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium).
  • In this case the ratio of the number of atoms in the various states is determined by the condition of thermodynamic equilibrium
  • Because the source function equals the blackbody function, does this mean that sources in local thermodynamic equilibrium emit blackbody radiation?

• Thermodynamics of Redox Reactions

  • The thermodynamics of redox reactions can be determined using their standard reduction potentials and the Nernst equation.
  • In order to calculate thermodynamic quantities like change in Gibbs free energy $\Delta G$ for a general redox reaction, an equation called the Nernst equation must be used.

• Changes in Energy

  • In classical thermodynamics the entropy is interpreted as a state function of a thermodynamic system.
  • The entropy of a system is defined only if it is in thermodynamic equilibrium.
  • In a thermodynamic system, pressure, density, and temperature tend to become uniform over time because this equilibrium state has a higher probability (more possible combinations of microstates) than any other.
  • The entropy of the thermodynamic system is a measure of how far the equalization has progressed.
  • The second law of thermodynamics shows that in an isolated system internal portions at different temperatures will tend to adjust to a single uniform temperature and thus produce equilibrium.