gibbs
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Gibbs’s 3rd Paper – not for the faint of heart!
[Gibbs’ “Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances”] is unquestionably among the greatest and most enduring monuments of the wonderful scientific activity of the nineteenth century. – H. A. Bumstead [1] Like Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia, this work of Willard Gibbs stands out in the history of man’s intellectual progress as an imperishable monument to the power of… 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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From steam to entropy: Creating a thermodynamics tour through Europe (and Yale)
I need your input on this. A friend of mine asked, “Bob, how about creating a European tour featuring the different locations where the founders of thermodynamics worked, including opportunities to taste the local beers?” I responded, “Great idea!” So what would that tour look like? Here’s a very rough outline based on chronological sequencing:… Continue reading
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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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The Unsung Legacy of Rudolf Clausius
We are now entering the final stages of our journey towards the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, a journey arguably started by Carnot and continued by a host of others, including Émile Clapeyron, James Joule, William Rankine, and William Thomson. In the end, though, it was Rudolf Clausius (1822-1888) who took the final steps. The power… Continue reading
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Deciphering the physical meaning of Gibbs’s maximum work equation
I am very pleased that Foundations of Chemistry supported publication of my paper (link below followed by abstract) that concluded with a question rather than a conclusion! As I am in search of the answer, please let me know if you know someone, likely a physical chemist, who has it. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10698-024-09503-3 Abstract J. Willard Gibbs… 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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