Robert T Hanlon
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James Clerk Maxwell’s path to the Gaussian distribution
If a great many equal spherical particles were in motion in a perfectly elastic vessel, collisions would take place among the particles, and their velocities would be altered at every collision; so that after a certain time the vis viva [kinetic energy] will be divided among the particles according to some regular law. – James… Continue reading
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My Unanswered Questions – three updates
As I shared earlier (here), a significant challenge confronting me in writing my second book is that I have many unanswered questions regarding thermodynamics’ micro-to-macro connections. I have begun the process of answering these questions by listing them all here and then creating individual pages for each with the intent to share my ongoing progress… Continue reading
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Clausius, the gadfly, and the power of asking penetrating questions
As I shared previously (here), in 1857 Rudolf Clausius published [1] his derivation of the kinetic theory of gases in which he connected the world of moving and colliding atoms to the ideal gas law: PV = nRT. Based on his work, Clausius hypothesized that absolute temperature is proportional to the average kinetic energy of… 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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