entropy
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Clausius: “The entropy of the universe tends to a maximum” – a statement built on an assumption
Before continuing my journey into the thermodynamic world of J. Willard Gibbs, I wanted to take a step back and revisit Rudolf Clausius’s final sentence in his ninth and final memoir on the mechanical theory of heat (here is link to all nine memoirs that ran from 1850 to 1865). Clausius’s Ninth Memoir Realizing that… Continue reading
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My favorite graph of J. Willard Gibbs
To truly understand Gibbs’s groundbreaking 3rd paper on thermodynamics “On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances” (1875-1878), one should first read his first two papers (1872, 1873) to gain proper background and context. [1] Gibbs’ first two papers and the rise of graphical techniques There’s opportunity at interfaces. If you want to find a fertile field… Continue reading
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The birth of thermo-dynamics!
In the years after 1850 a developed, established science with extensive theoretical structures and satisfactory experimental verification had to be re-established on a new basis; that of the axiom of the conservation of energy. This was the first time in history that such a thing had happened. It pre-dates the famous re-establishments that followed the… Continue reading
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From Theory to Trust: How the Conservation of Energy Shaped Modern Thermodynamics
A foundational cornerstone of chemical engineering is the mass and energy balance. This principle states with absolute certainty that mass and energy are conserved. In a steady-state, continuous process, the mass and energy entering a system must precisely equal those exiting – not approximately, but exactly. If there’s a discrepancy in these numbers, it indicates… Continue reading
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Thermodynamic “pain point” results – here are your responses
I believe that a better understanding of thermodynamics is available by explaining the connections between the micro-world of moving and colliding atoms that attract and repel each other and the macro-world of classical thermodynamics. My goal is to identify and clarify such micro-to-macro connections. To ensure that I’m addressing true needs of the science community,… Continue reading
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The Road to Entropy – Sadi Carnot’s use of analogy to create his “flawed” masterpiece (video)
The commercialization of the high-pressure steam engines by the Cornish Engineers of Britain inspired Sadi Carnot, a French military engineer, to analyze these engines and seek the theories to guide their improvement. If you’re interested in doing a deep dive into Sadi Carnot’s work, here are two excellent references. I go into much more depth… 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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