The thermodynamics knowledge you need to succeed in class--and in your career

Thermodynamics For Dummies, 2nd Edition covers the topics found in a typical undergraduate introductory thermodynamic course (which is an essential course to nearly all engineering degree programs). It also brings the subject to life with exciting content on where (and how!) thermodynamics is being used today (spoiler alert: everywhere!). You'll grasp the basics of how heat and energy interact, thermodynamic properties of reactions and mixtures, and how thermodynamic cycles are used to make things go. This useful guide also covers renewable energy systems, new refrigerant technology, and a more diverse perspective on the history of the field.

Within, you'll:

• Get clear explanations of the laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamic cycles, and beyond
• Read about real-world examples to help you connect with the content
• Practice solving thermodynamic problems to internalize what you've learned

For students looking for resources to demystify thermodynamics, Thermodynamics For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the perfect choice. Become thermodynamically savvy with this accessible guide!

An understanding of thermal physics is crucial to much of modern physics, chemistry and engineering. This book provides a modern introduction to the main principles that are foundational to thermal physics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. The key concepts are carefully presented in a clear way, and new ideas are illustrated with copious worked examples as well as a description of the historical background to their discovery. Applications are presented to subjects as diverse as stellar astrophysics, information and communication theory, condensed matter physics and climate change. Each chapter concludes with detailed exercises.

The second edition of this popular textbook maintains the structure and lively style of the first edition but extends its coverage of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics to include several new topics, including osmosis, diffusion problems, Bayes theorem, radiative transfer, the Ising model and Monte Carlo methods. New examples and exercises have been added throughout.

To request a copy of the Solutions Manual, visit: http: //global.oup.com/uk/academic/physics/admin/solutions

Encompassing essentially all aspects of statistical mechanics that appear in undergraduate texts, this concise, elementary treatment shows how an atomic-molecular perspective yields new insights into macroscopic thermodynamics. 1974 edition.

In this concise volume, one of the founder of quantum mechanics and one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the century (Nobel laureate, 1933) attempts to develop a simple, unified standard method of dealing with all cases of statistical thermodynamics (classical, quantum, Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac, etc.)
The level of discussion is relatively advanced. As Professor Schrödinger remarks in the Introduction: It is not a first introduction for newcomers to the subject, but rather a 'repetitorium.' The treatment of those topics which are to be found in every one of a hundred text-books is severely condensed; on the other hand, vital points which are usually passed over in all but the large monographs (such as Fowler's and Tolman's) are dealt with at greater level.

Indisputably, this is a modern classic of science. Based on a course of lectures delivered by the author at Columbia University, the text is elementary in treatment and remarkable for its clarity and organization. Although it is assumed that the reader is familiar with the fundamental facts of thermometry and calorimetry, no advanced mathematics beyond calculus is assumed.
Partial contents: thermodynamic systems, the first law of thermodynamics (application, adiabatic transformations), the second law of thermodynamics (Carnot cycle, absolute thermodynamic temperature, thermal engines), the entropy (properties of cycles, entropy of a system whose states can be represented on a (V, p) diagram, Clapeyron and Van der Waals equations), thermodynamic potentials (free energy, thermodynamic potential at constant pressure, the phase rule, thermodynamics of the reversible electric cell), gaseous reactions (chemical equilibria in gases, Van't Hoff reaction box, another proof of the equation of gaseous equilibria, principle of Le Chatelier), the thermodynamics of dilute solutions (osmotic pressure, chemical equilibria in solutions, the distribution of a solute between 2 phases vapor pressure, boiling and freezing points), the entropy constant (Nernst's theorem, thermal ionization of a gas, thermionic effect, etc.).

In a wonderful synthesis of science, history, and imagination, Gino Segrè, an internationally renowned theoretical physicist, embarks on a wide-ranging exploration of how the fundamental scientific concept of temperature is bound up with the very essence of both life and matter. Why is the internal temperature of most mammals fixed near 98.6 ? How do geologists use temperature to track the history of our planet? Why is the quest for absolute zero and its quantum mechanical significance the key to understanding superconductivity? And what can we learn from neutrinos, the subatomic messages from the sun that may hold the key to understanding the birth-and death-of our solar system? In answering these and hundreds of other temperature-sensitive questions, Segrè presents an uncanny view of the world around us.

Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer 8^th Edition has been the gold standard of heat transfer pedagogy for many decades, with a commitment to continuous improvement by four authors' with more than 150 years of combined experience in heat transfer education, research and practice. Applying the rigorous and systematic problem-solving methodology that this text pioneered an abundance of examples and problems reveal the richness and beauty of the discipline. This edition makes heat and mass transfer more approachable by giving additional emphasis to fundamental concepts, while highlighting the relevance of two of today's most critical issues: energy and the environment.

The study of thermodynamics is especially timely today, as its concepts are being applied to problems in biology, biochemistry, electrochemistry, and engineering. This book treats irreversible processes and phenomena -- non-equilibrium thermodynamics.
S. R. de Groot and P. Mazur, Professors of Theoretical Physics, present a comprehensive and insightful survey of the foundations of the field, providing the only complete discussion of the fluctuating linear theory of irreversible thermodynamics. The application covers a wide range of topics: the theory of diffusion and heat conduction, fluid dynamics, relaxation phenomena, acoustical relaxation, and the behavior of systems in an electromagnetic field.
The statistical foundations of non-equilibrium thermodynamics are treated in detail, and there are special sections on fluctuation theory, the theory of stochastic processes, the kinetic theory of gases, and the derivation of the Onsager reciprocal relations. The implications of causality conditions and of dispersion relations are analyzed in depth.
Advanced students will find a great number of challenging problems, with hints for their solutions. Chemists will be especially interested in the applications to electrochemistry and the theory of chemical reactions. Physicists, teachers, scholars, biologists, and anyone interested in the principle and modern applications of non-equilibrium thermodynamics will find this classic monograph an invaluable reference.

The laws of thermodynamics drive everything that happens in the universe. From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas to the cooling of hot metal--everything is moved or restrained by four simple laws. Written by Peter Atkins, one of the world's leading authorities on thermodynamics, this powerful and compact introduction explains what these four laws are and how they work, using accessible language and virtually no mathematics. Guiding the reader a step at a time, Atkins begins with Zeroth (so named because the first two laws were well established before scientists realized that a third law, relating to temperature, should precede them--hence the jocular name zeroth), and proceeds through the First, Second, and Third Laws, offering a clear account of concepts such as the availability of work and the conservation of energy. Atkins ranges from the fascinating theory of entropy (revealing how its unstoppable rise constitutes the engine of the universe), through the concept of free energy, and to the brink, and then beyond the brink, of absolute zero.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

About sixty years ago, the anomalous magnetic response of certain magnetic alloys drew the attention of theoretical physicists. It soon became clear that understanding these systems, now called spin glasses, would give rise to a new branch of statistical physics. As physical materials, spin glasses were found to be as useless as they were exotic. They have nevertheless been recognized as paradigmatic examples of complex systems with applications to problems as diverse as neural networks, amorphous solids, biological molecules, social and economic interactions, information theory and constraint satisfaction problems.

This book presents an encyclopaedic overview of the broad range of these applications. More than 30 contributions are compiled, written by many of the leading researchers who have contributed to these developments over the last few decades. Some timely and cutting-edge applications are also discussed. This collection serves well as an introduction and summary of disordered and glassy systems for advanced undergraduates, graduate students and practitioners interested in the topic.

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.

Though James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) is best remembered for his epochal achievements in electricity and magnetism, he was wide-ranging in his scientific investigations, and he came to brilliant conclusions in virtually all of them. As James R. Newman put it, Maxwell combined a profound physical intuition, an exquisite feeling for the relationship of objects, with a formidable mathematical capacity to establish orderly connections among diverse phenomena. This blending of the concrete and the abstract was the chief characteristic of almost all his researches.
Maxwell's work on heat and statistical physics has long been recognized as vitally important, but Theory of Heat, his own masterful presentation of his ideas, remained out of print for years before being brought back in this new edition. In this unjustly neglected classic, Maxwell sets forth the fundamentals of thermodynamics clearly and simply enough to be understood by a beginning student, yet with enough subtlety and depth of thought to appeal also to more advanced readers. He goes on to elucidate the fundamental ideas of kinetic theory, and -- through the mental experiment of Maxwell's demon -- points out how the Second Law of Thermodynamics relies on statistics.
A new Introduction and notes by Peter Pesic put Maxwell's work into context and show how it relates to the quantum ideas that emerged a few years later. Theory of Heat will serve beginners as a sound introduction to thermal physics; advanced students of physics and the history of science will find Maxwell's ideas stimulating, and will be delighted to discover this inexpensive reprint of a long-unavailable classic.

In this classic of modern science, the Nobel Laureate presents a clear treatment of systems, the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics, entropy, thermodynamic potentials, and much more. Calculus required.

Scientists, theologians, and philosophers have all sought to answer the questions of why we are here and where we are going. Finding this natural basis of life has proved elusive, but in the eloquent and creative Into the Cool, Eric D. Schneider and Dorion Sagan look for answers in a surprising place: the second law of thermodynamics. This second law refers to energy's inevitable tendency to change from being concentrated in one place to becoming spread out over time. In this scientific tour de force, Schneider and Sagan show how the second law is behind evolution, ecology, economics, and even life's origin.

Working from the precept that nature abhors a gradient, Into the Cool details how complex systems emerge, enlarge, and reproduce in a world tending toward disorder. From hurricanes here to life on other worlds, from human evolution to the systems humans have created, this pervasive pull toward equilibrium governs life at its molecular base and at its peak in the elaborate structures of living complex systems. Schneider and Sagan organize their argument in a highly accessible manner, moving from descriptions of the basic physics behind energy flow to the organization of complex systems to the role of energy in life to the final section, which applies their concept of energy flow to politics, economics, and even human health.

A book that needs to be grappled with by all those who wonder at the organizing principles of existence, Into the Cool will appeal to both humanists and scientists. If Charles Darwin shook the world by showing the common ancestry of all life, so Into the Cool has a similar power to disturb--and delight--by showing the common roots in energy flow of all complex, organized, and naturally functioning systems.

Whether one is considering the difference between heat and cold or between inflated prices and market values, Schneider and Sagan argue, we can apply insights from thermodynamics and entropy to understand how systems tend toward equilibrium. The result is an impressive work that ranges across disciplinary boundaries and draws from disparate literatures without blinking.--Publishers Weekly

Grappling with the first and second laws of thermodynamics can test the intellectual mettle of even the most dedicated student of the physical sciences. Approaching the subject for the first time may raise more queries and doubts than are usually handled in the basic, straightforward textbook.
Based on a series of lectures delivered to 500 sophomore engineering students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Dr. Van Neer's clear, lucid treatment is readily comprehensible by undergraduate-level science and engineering students. His language is informal, his examples are vivid and lively, his perspective is fresh. This book, a companion to a basic textbook, discusses thermodynamics, a topic of profound importance in the study of physics, in a manner which elucidates fundamental concepts and demonstrates their practical applicability.
In these increasingly energy-conscious and costly times, as traditional energy sources are being depleted and revolutionary new sources are contemplated, appreciating the consequences of the laws of thermodynamics is more than a fascinating avenue of intellectual inquiry: it is a pragmatic concern imperative to all -- students, scientists, engineers, technicians, politicians, businessmen, and anyone facing the energy challenges of the future. Here is help understanding concepts which will prove all-important in the next century.
Dr. H. C. Van Ness is a distinguished professor of chemical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and co-author of several textbooks on thermodynamics. He is an unsurpassed as an expert in the field.

Advances in Heat Transfer, Volume 58 presents the latest in a serial that highlights new advances in the field, with this updated volume presenting interesting chapters written by an international board of authors. Sample chapters in this new release include Nanoscale Thin Film Evaporation and Ice thermal energy storage modeling: A review.

This fully updated and expanded new edition continues to provide the most readable, concise, and easy-to-follow introduction to thermal physics.

While maintaining the style of the original work, the book now covers statistical mechanics and incorporates worked examples systematically throughout the text. It also covers more problems, and incorporates some essential updates, such as discussions on superconductivity, magnetism, Bose-Einstein condensation, and climate change.

Anyone who needs to acquire an intuitive understanding of thermodynamics from the first principles will find this third edition indispensable.

Selling Points

- Provides the most concise and accessible introduction to thermodynamics starting from first principles, with many more worked examples and problems.

- Incorporates statistical mechanics in two brand-new chapters.

- Systematically incorporates more worked examples after introducing a new concept to show what the results mean numerically.

- Continues to address the subtleties in a way unmatched by any other text, for topics such as the meaning of thermodynamic functions.

- Offers a significant update on areas such as superconductivity, magnetism, Bose-Einstein condensation, climate change, and physics of information.

Andrew Rex is a professor of physics at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. He earned a BA in physics at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1977 and a PhD in physics at the University of Virginia in 1982. At Virginia he worked under the direction of Bascom S. Deaver Jr on the development of new superconducting materials. After completing requirements for his PhD, he joined the faculty at Puget Sound. Dr Rex's primary research interest is in the foundations of the second law of thermodynamics. He has published research articles and, jointly with Harvey Leff, two comprehensive monographs on the subject of Maxwell's demon (1990, 2003). Dr Rex has coauthored several widely used textbooks--Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers (1993, 2000, 2006, 2013, 2021), Integrated Physics and Calculus (2000), and Essential College Physics (2010, 2021)--and the popular science book Commonly Asked Questions in Physics, also published by Taylor & Francis/CRC Press.

Nuclear Systems, Volume I: Thermal Hydraulic Fundamentals, Third Edition, provides an in-depth introduction to nuclear power, focusing on thermal hydraulic design and analysis of the nuclear core and other key nuclear plant components. The authors stress the integration of fluid flow and heat transfer as applied to all power reactor types and energy source distribution. They cover nuclear reactor concepts and systems, including GEN III+, GEN IV, and SMR reactors and new power cycles. The text includes new chapter examples and problems using concept parameters, full-color text and art, computer programs, figure slides, and a solutions manual.

FEATURES

• Rigorous coverage of nuclear power generation fundamentals
• Description and analysis of the latest nuclear power plant designs and technologies
• Extensive examples in each chapter to illustrate the analysis methods which have been presented
• New full-color art and text features to enhance the presentation of topics
• Integration of fluid flow and heat transfer as applied to single- and two-phase coolants

Readers will develop the knowledge and design skills needed to improve the next generation of nuclear reactors.