1st law of thermodynamics
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J. Willard Gibbs – setting the stage
I will be writing about the work of J. Willard Gibbs (1839-1903) in the next several posts and wanted to provide the following context before doing so. Mirco-to-macro and the 1st Law of Thermodynamics In the world of classical thermodynamics, we are concerned with the macroscopic properties of matter and how they change in various… Continue reading
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For every effect, there must be a cause
The 1st Law of Thermodynamics is all about energy and its conservation. In 1850 Rudolf Clausius put it into an equation by conducting an energy balance around the working substance inside a piston. ∆U = Q - W The change in internal energy of a system (U) is equal to the heat (Q) entering the system minus the work (… Continue reading
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James Joule – how did he do it?
Poking at small effects you can’t explain can be a way of unraveling a much bigger piece of physics – Professor Carl Carlson, theoretical physicist [1] Forging a law around the concept of energy and its conservation demanded many observations, many experiences, and many measurements. The long history involved traveled through the works of the… 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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