To understand the fundamentals of heat and thermodynamics. Explain the key concepts of thermal physics and their consequences, in particular kinetic theory and the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics. Apply the key concepts of thermal physics to a variety of thermodynamic systems such as engines, refrigerators and the atmosphere.
Basic Concepts: Thermodynamic systems, Surrounding and Boundaries. Type of systems. Macroscopic and microscopic description of system. Properties and state of the substance: Extensive and Intensive properties, Equilibrium, Mechanical and Thermal Equilibrium. Processes and Cycles: Isothermal, Isobaric and Isochoric. Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics, Consequence of Zeroth law of Thermodynamics. The state of the system at Equilibrium.
Heat and Temperature: Temperature, Kinetic theory of ideal gas, Work done on an ideal gas, Internal energy of an ideal gas: Equipartition of Energy, Intermolecular forces, The Virial expansion, The Van der Waals equation of state.
Thermodynamics: First law of thermodynamics and its applications to adiabatic, isothermal, cyclic and free expansion. Reversible and irreversible processes, Second law of thermodynamics, Carnot theorem and Carnot engine, Heat engine, Refrigerators, Calculation of efficiency of heat engines. Thermodynamic temperature scale: Absolute zero, Entropy, Entropy in reversible process, Entropy in irreversible process. Entropy and second law of thermodynamics, Entropy and Probability, Thermodynamic potentials, Maxwell’s relations, TdS equations. Energy equations and their applications, Intrinsic and mutual stabilities of single component system, Conditions of stabilities, The Le Chatelier-Braun Principle, Phase transitions (latent heat), First order Phase transition, Discontinuities of Volume and Entropy, Second Order Phase Transition, Low Temperature Physics, Joule-Thomson effect and its equations. Thermoelectricity: Thermocouple, Seabeck’s effect, Peltier’s effect, Thomson effect.
Statistical Mechanics: Statistical distribution and mean values, Mean free path and microscopic calculations of mean free path. Distribution of molecular speeds, Distribution of energies, Maxwell distribution, Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution, Internal energy of an ideal gas. Brownian motion, Qualitative description. Diffusion, Conduction and viscosity.
At the end of the course the students will be able to:
