Thermodynamics in Everyday Life-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS13 10036 LE60 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ First semester | |
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| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | Mainly 1st & 2nd year students | Target Student | For science students | |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Mon.3 | |
| Instructor name | THUERMER, Stephan (Graduate School of Science Associate Professor) | |||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | In this lecture you will learn about the fundamental ideas of thermodynamics in an understandable and fun way. If you are going to study natural sciences, especially physics or chemistry, you will come across these ideas again and again. Chemical reactions in nature, industrial processes, and of course all processes in your daily life are dependent on energy. As it turns out, energy comes in many different forms, and its flow and transformation follows fundamental laws, which we want to study in this course. | |||
| Course Goals |
Students will gain the following form this lecture: - Interest and fun to learn more about how things work in daily life and technical processes. - An intuitive understanding of thermodynamic laws, which is fundamental to further studies of physics and chemistry. - The ability to understand scientific terminologies and express their own ideas of natural sciences in English. |
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| Schedule and Contents |
The course will cover the following topics in a total of 15 lectures / weeks (not including the final examination). The course schedule is subject to change depending on the student's understanding. 1) The big picture: Introduction to thermodynamic systems and their states. (2 weeks) We learn how processes in nature are controlled by a few simple properties, like pressure, temperature and volume. 2) Everything in balance: Equilibrium thermodynamics. (2 weeks) We think about different types of equilibria and their usefulness in describing processes. 3) It gets hot: Temperature and its scales. (2 weeks) We ask “What is temperature?” and answer this question from various viewpoints. 4) Order and disorder: Phases, the phase diagram, and mixtures. (4 weeks) We discuss the changes substances undergo when varying temperature, pressure and volume. 5) One-way flow: Forms of energy, energy conservation and transformation. (2 weeks) We learn about different forms of energy, laws for energy flow and their application in daily life. 6) Making energy do the work: Energy conservation in cyclic processes. (2 weeks) Finally we apply our knowledge of energy conservation to machines which transport heat or convert energy. < 8) Feedback session (1 week): After the final examination we will discuss the answers of the exam questions and resolve any open questions. |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy |
Preparing the homework (40%) Two short test during the lecture (20%) Final examination (40%) |
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| Course Requirements | None | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | Students are expected to review the lecture handouts after each class and look up unknown English terms themselves. Homework assignments need to be prepared before the next lecture. It is also encouraged to refer to additional sources of information (books, websites) for the specific topics. If something is unclear or difficult, the instructor can be asked at any time. | |||
| Textbooks | Textbooks/References | No textbook is used. Lecture notes will be provided during class. | ||
| References, etc. |
Physical Chemistry, Peter Atkins, Julio de Paula, (Oxford University Press), ISBN:9780199697403, (Topics from Part 1 - Thermodynamics) Always a good book to have for learning concepts in physical chemistry The Laws of Thermodynamics: A Very Short Introduction, Peter Atkins, (Oxford University Press), ISBN:9780199572199, A short and easy to understand book about general concepts Thermodynamics: An engineering approach, Yunus Cengel, Michael Boles, (McGraw-Hill Education), ISBN:9780073398174, Good for learning about thermodynamics with real-world examples and applications Physical Chemistry from a Different Angle, Georg Job, Regina Rueffler, (Springer), ISBN:978-3-319-15666-8, A good book for getting an intuitive introduction into thermodynamics |
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