Thermodynamics can be defined as the science of energy. Although every body has a feeling of what energy is, it is difficult to give a precise definition for it. Energy can be viewed as the ability to cause changes.
The name thermodynamics stems from the Greek words therme (heat) and dynamics (power), which is most descriptive of the early efforts to convert heat into power. Today the same name is broadly interpreted to include all aspects of energy and energy transformations, including power generation, refrigeration, and relationships among the properties of matter.
One of the most fundamental laws of nature is the conservation of energy principle. It simply states that during an interaction, energy can change from one form to another but the total amount of energy remains constant. Energy can not be created or destroyed. A rock falling off a cliff, for example, picks up speed as result of its potential energy being converted to kinetic energy.
Although the principles of thermodynamics have been in existence since the creation of the universe, thermodynamics did not emerge as a science until the construction of the first successful atmospheric steam engines in England by Thomas Savery in 1607 and Thomas Newcomen in 1712. These engines were very slow and inefficient, but they opened the way for the development of a new science: Thermodynamics.
All applications in nature involve some interaction between energy and matter; thus, it is hard to imagine an area that does not relate to thermodynamics in some matter. Therefore, developing a good understanding of basic principles of thermodynamics has long been an essential part of engineering education.
Thermodynamics is commonly encountered in many engineering systems and other aspects of life, and one does not need to go very far to see some application areas of it.
In fact, one does not need to go anywhere. The heart is constantly pumping blood to all parts of the human body, various energy conversions occur in trillions of body cells, and the body heat generated is constantly rejected to the environment. The human comfort is closely tied to the rate of this metabolic heat rejection. We try to control this heat transfer rate by adjusting our clothing to the environmental conditions.
Other applications of thermodynamics are right where one lives. An ordinary house is, in some respects, an exhibition hall filled with wonders of thermodynamics. Many ordinary household utensils and appliances are designed, in whole or in part, by using the principles of thermodynamics.
When something gives us energy, it means more than to just give us the required power to work or move along for such a specific task. In biological terms, it means to have your energy be transported through your body and placed by cells into biomolecules. Biomolecules such as lipids and carbohydrates. It then stores that energy in our body.
Thermodynamics is essentially how heat energy transfers from one substance to another. In “Joe Science vs. the Water Heater,” the temperature of water in a water heater must be found without measuring the water directly from the water heater. This problem was translated to the lab by providing heated water, fish bowl thermometers, styrofoam cups, and all other instruments found in the lab. The thermometer only reaches 45 degrees celsius; therefore, thermodynamic equations need to be applied in order to find the original temperature of the hot water. We also had access to deionized water that was approximately room temperature.
When there is a heat exchange between two objects, the object’s temperature will change. The rate at which this change will occur happens according to Newton’s Law of heating and cooling. This law states the rate of temperature change is directly proportional between the two objects. The data in this lab will exhibit that an object will stay in a state of temperature equilibrium, unless the object comes in contact with another object of a different temperature. Newton’s Law of Heat and Cooling can be understood by using this formula:
[5] Borgnakke, C., Sonntag, R., 2008, “Fundamentals of Thermodynamics, 7th edition,” John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken.
Although Black’s discovery of carbon dioxide was said to lay the foundation for modern chemistry, it wasn’t the only discovery he is credited for. He was the first to conclude that heat and temperature were two different things. Black used water as a universal substance to show that heat is energy, in which may be transported through moving and colliding molecules and the idea that temperature is the measurement of the average motion or kinetic energy of the molecules. He demonstrated this with a bucket of ice monitored by temperature constantly. The ice continually melted, but the temperature remained constant. Black is also well known for his discovery of latent heat, the heat required to convert a solid into a liquid or vapor, or a liquid into a vapor, without change of temperature. Latent heat was con be expressed in two ways: the heat can be absorbed if the change involves solid to liquid or liquid to gas or the heat can be released if the change involves gas to liquid or liquid to solid. Black took this idea and developed “specific heat”, in which is defined as the measured amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by a specified number of degrees.
Thermodynamics is the study of work, heat, and the energy of a system (NASA, 2010). To help explain in more detail the properties of thermodynamics are the laws of thermodynamics. The first law explains that a system’s internal energy can be increased by adding energy to the system or by doing work on the system (Serway & Vuille, 2012). An internal energy system is the sum of both its kinetic and potential energies. The first law more simply states that the change in internal energy of a system is caused by an exchange of energy across the system, typically in the form of heat, or by doing work on the system. This relationship can be represented by the equation:
Note: The first seconds of the universe were pure energy. That energy was transformed into the matter and energy that is recognizable today. Einstein’s notable equation, E=MC2, predicted the relationship between energy and mass. In other words, energy is equal to mass, multiplied by the speed of light squared.
Lambert, Frank L. The Second Law of Thermodynamics! January 2011. Occidental College. Web 19 April 2015.
Cengel, Y. A., & Boles, M. A. (2011). Thermodynamics: An engineering approach (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.¬¬¬¬
Thermodynamics is the branch of science concerned with the nature of heat and its conversion to any form of energy. In thermodynamics, both the thermodynamic system and its environment are considered. A thermodynamic system, in general, is defined by its volume, pressure, temperature, and chemical make-up. In general, the environment will contain heat sources with unlimited heat capacity allowing it to give and receive heat without changing its temperature. Whenever the conditions change, the thermodynamic system will respond by changing its state; the temperature, volume, pressure, or chemical make-up will adjust accordingly in order to reach its original state of equilibrium. There are three laws of thermodynamics in which the changing system can follow in order to return to equilibrium.
Chemical engineering, a prominent and growing career, requires a detailed understanding of the how and why chemical processes work and also how they can be further improved. To develop new improvised methods for these processes to function more useful and economical, a chemical engineer uses theories and laws of chemistry. They are, however, often referred to as the "universal engineer" because they must not only have a broad knowledge of chemistry and physics but also of mechanical and electrical engineering.
Energy is a property of matter which can be transferred to other matters or transformed into different forms, although it cannot be created or destroyed. A common definition of energy is that it is the ability to do work. Work is the transfer of energy. Work is done on an object when energy is transferred to that object. If one object transfers energy to another object then the first object does work on the second object. Work is when a force is applied over a distance. To calculate work, find the dot product of an object’s displacement and the force applied. In SI units, energy is measured in joules (“Work, Energy and Power”, 2015).
• A second principle, which concretises the beginning of the universe, is the second law of thermodynamics. As I quote the cosmologist Sir Arthur Eddington, said,
During the seventeenth century, the modern science of physics started to emerge and become a widespread tool used around the world. Many prominent people contributed to the build up of this fascinating field and managed to generally define it as the science of matter and energy and their interactions. However, as we know, physics is much more than that. It explains the world around us in every form imaginable. The study of physics is a fundamental science that helps the advancing knowledge of the natural world, technology and aids in the other sciences and in our economy. Without the field of physics, the world today would be a complete mystery, everything would be different because of the significance physics has on our life as individuals and as a society.
Fleisher, Paul. Matter and Energy: Principles of Matter and Thermodynamics. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 2002.