The deepest understanding of thermodynamics comes, of course, from understanding the actual machinery underneath – Richard Feynman [1]
I have begun work on my second book in which I intend to connect the micro-world of moving and interacting atoms to the macro-world of thermodynamic phenomena and the classical equations used to describe them. This book will be created here, on-line, and is meant provide content to those who want a better understanding of thermodynamics and additionally to those in the academic world seeking to create an improved syllabus. I will publish as I create and modify along the way as needed. If this journey interests you, I invite you to join me and, more importantly, help me. This is naturally a work in progress. I denote completed sections with “done.”
Table of Contents
Section 1 – Atomic Theory
Chapter 2 – The movement of atoms
Section 2 – Conservation of Mass and Energy
Chapter 3 – Energy, mass, and the First Law of Thermodynamics
Chapter 4 – The mass and energy balance (w/ stories from the field)
Section 3 – Law of Large Numbers
Chapter 5 – Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Chapter 6 – The Boltzmann energy distribution – illustrated
Chapter 7 – Micro-to-Macro: setting the stage
References
[1] Feynman, Richard Phillips, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew L. Sands, and Richard Phillips Feynman. 1989a. The Feynman Lectures on Physics. Volume I. Mainly Mechanics, Radiation, and Heat. Vol. 1. The Feynman Lectures on Physics 1. Redwood City, Calif.: Addison-Wesley, p. 39-2.
