entropy
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“One data point is worth one thousand opinions” – guest writer contribution
In a previous post (here) I wrote about the value of obtaining data when working to solve any given problem. That post inspired a good friend of mine, Michael Todd, retired project manager, to capture two of his own experiences, which I gladly share below. If you have your own stories to share, please do… Continue reading
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Revisiting the kinetic theory of gases
My vision is to develop a ground-up understanding of thermodynamics based on connecting the micro-world of moving and interacting atoms to the macro-world of thermodynamic phenomena and the classical equations used to describe them. In the below post, which I previously shared, I delve into the originating micro-to-macro work of Clausius, Maxwell, and Boltzmann when… Continue reading
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Five Years of Thermodynamics: Building the Bridge from Micro to Macro
Five years ago, I set out to explain the historical and theoretical foundations of thermodynamics with the publication of my first book. Today, the journey continues as I make steady progress on my second book in which I seek to connect the micro-world of moving and interacting atoms to the macro-world of thermodynamic phenomena and… Continue reading
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“One data point is worth one thousand opinions” – three stories
Between Galileo and Aristotle there were just a lot of guys with theories they never bothered to test – Helen Monaco’s character in Philip Kerr’s Prayer: A Novel [1] It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened… Continue reading
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The Clausius-Clapeyron equation – explained
Many years ago a colleague and close friend made the rather courageous decision to get his PhD in chemical engineering—studying nights and weekends—while continuing to work full-time. After two semesters of courses he had to take his qualifying exams. The day after his oral exam I asked him how it went. “Can you believe it?… Continue reading
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Physical chemistry – a new field in science
As a young man I tried to read thermodynamics, but I always came up against entropy as a brick wall that stopped any further progress. – James Swinburne (1904) [1] The second law of thermodynamics, which is known also as the law of the dissipation or degradation of energy, or the law of the increase… Continue reading
Block by Block – The Historical and Theoretical Foundations of Thermodynamics. “Hanlon has written a masterpiece.” – Mike Pauken, Senior Engineer, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and author of Thermodynamics for Dummies
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About Me
Hi! I’m Bob Hanlon. After earning my Sc.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and enjoying a long career in both industry and academia, I’ve returned to school, my own self-guided school, seeking to better understand the world of thermodynamics. Please join me on my journey.
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