Thermodynamics is the branch of physics which deals with the study of heat, its motion and its effects. It is a branch of science that provides tools to investigate the relationships between heat and other types of energy, such as mechanical work, electricity and chemical reactions. Thermodynamics is widely used in the study of systems involving complex processes such as combustion engines, refrigerators, air conditioning systems, chemical plants and many other natural processes.
Thermal equilibrium: Thermal equilibrium is the state of a system when no net exchange of energy takes place between the system and its surroundings.
Temperature: Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system. It is expressed either in Kelvin (SI unit) or Fahrenheit or Celsius scales.
Heat: Heat is defined as the transfer of energy from a system at a higher temperature to a system at a lower temperature due to a temperature difference between the two systems.
Heat capacity: Heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of an object by one degree Celsius.
Heat transfer: Heat transfer is the process by which heat is transferred from a hotter object to a colder object. The three modes of heat transfer are conduction, convection, and radiation.
Enthalpy: Enthalpy is the thermodynamic property which is often expressed as the sum of internal energy and the product of pressure and volume of the system.
Entropy: Entropy is a thermodynamic quantity which is the measure of the energy which is not available to do work in a system.
Thermal expansion: Thermal expansion is the increase in the volume of a material with increase in the temperature.
Adiabatic process: Adiabatic process is a process in which no heat is exchanged with the surroundings.
Phase transition: Phase transition is the transition from one physical state to another, such as liquid to gas, solid to liquid, etc.
Isothermal process: Isothermal process is a process in which temperature remains constant.
Work: Work is the transfer of energy from one form to another.
Joules law: Joules law states that the heat absorbed by a gas or liquid equals the product of its pressure and volume.
Pressure: Pressure is the force per unit area and is measured in Pascals (Pa).
Free energy: Free energy is the maximum amount of work which can be extracted from a given system.
Gibbs free energy: Gibbs free energy is the maximum amount of non-expansion energy which can be extracted from a system at constant temperature and pressure.
Internal energy: Internal energy is the energy of the system expressed as the sum of its kinetic and potential energy.
Heat of vaporization: Heat of vaporization is the energy required to change liquid to gas at its boiling point.
Thermodynamic systems: Thermodynamic systems are the group of entities which interact with each other in a thermodynamic process.
Exergy: Exergy is the maximum amount of work which can be produced from a system in a reversible process.
