PHY2162 Thermodynamics

Introduction: thermodynamic and molecular-kinetic methods for studying thermal properties of matter; definitions and units of thermodynamics (substances, systems–fixed mass and fixed space, pressure, state of a system, process).
•Temperature: the zero law of thermodynamics; the constant-volume gas thermometer, the temperature scales, and thermometers.
•Thermal expansion of solids and liquids
•Heat: the mechanical equivalent of heat; specific heat; calorimetry; heat transfer modes.
•Macroscopic and microscopic descriptions of an ideal gas: mass and size of molecules; bases of molecular-kinetic theory; equation of state of an ideal gas; constant-volume, constant-temperature and constant-pressure processes, a molecular model for the pressure of an ideal gas; mean energy of molecules; the number of degrees of freedom; molecular interpretation of temperature; the mean velocity of the molecules; the root-mean-square (rms) speed; the most probable velocity; the Maxwell distribution.