Thermodynamics!

We are going to whip through this chapter and after today, I think you see why. It is one of the most information-poor chapters in the book and the math is very simple, so it should be a 3-day trip, at best. In truth, thermodynamics is a massive physics/engineering topic, but a lot is beyond our scope, so the material is just a taste of things you'll find in later classes. Make sure to come prepared on Friday and on Monday with questions about the material for the midterm exam and if you need any practice work, ask me for some. But, you may need to give me a day to hunt up something suitable, so do not wait until the last minute...

Today we took a look at what are thermodynamic systems and how work, heat and internal energy are related in those systems. We redefined work to accommodate the properties of gases (W = PΔV) and examined P-V diagrams to evaluate how much work a thermodynamic system was doing. We also discussed the model thermodynamic processes and examples of each and then restated those using the 1^st Law of Thermodynamics (ΔU = Q - W). You'll get to work with both of today's formulas in the homework problems and the questions will let you practice identifying the examples of thermodynamic processes. Tomorrow - heat engines and heat engine efficiency.