Thermodynamics Articles

Tag Archive for: Thermodynamics

What is Entropy

What Thermodynamics and Entropy Means

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Introduction The student of thermodynamics, as they consider pistons and ideal gasses and such, often begin to grasp the nature of entropy only to find…
information definition

How to Better Define Information in Physics

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Introduction When I ask questions about the conservation of information I frequently get the reply, “It depends on what you mean by information.”  …
statmech2

Learn Statistical Mechanics: The Ideal Gas

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Read Part 1: Equilibrium Systems The Ideal Gas: Boltzmann's Approach (The Microcanonical Ensemble) Consider a monatomic gas of ##N## non-interacting…
statmech1

Learn Statistical Mechanics: Equilibrium Systems

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This is the first of a multi-part series of articles intended to give a concise overview of statistical mechanics and some of its applications. These articles…
partial-differentiation

Learn Partial Differentiation Without Tears

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Differentiation is usually taught quite well. Perhaps that's because it is the first introduction to calculus, which is considered a big step in a student's…
earlyuniverse

Why Wasn’t the Early Universe at Maximum Entropy?

No. The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy can only increase over time. If the early universe had begun in a state of maximum entropy, the…
heat

What Is Heat? The Real Thermodynamics Definition Explained

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Heat is not something a body possesses. Heat is a transfer mechanism: the non-mechanical exchange of energy between a system and its surroundings that…
gas compression

Reversible vs Irreversible Gas Compression and Expansion Work

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Introduction In learning Thermodynamics, one of the difficult concepts that many students struggle with is the difference between reversible and irreversible…
negative temperature

Negative Absolute Temperatures: Explanation & Examples

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It's a famous result in thermodynamics that you cannot reach absolute zero no matter how hard you try. Given the definition of absolute zero, it is also…
Thermodynamics

Understanding the Second Law of Thermodynamics Clearly

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Introduction The second law of thermodynamics and the associated concept of entropy have been sources of confusion for thermodynamics students for centuries.…