UNIT 8. THERMODYNAMICS

At the end of this unit the student should be able to:

- Understand and apply the mechanical equivalent of heat

- Describe the condition for thermal equilibrium and define temperature

- Define the coefficient of linear expansion and apply the equation to

  calculate linear thermal expansion

- Explain the mechanisms of heat transfer: conduction, radiation and

  convection

- Demonstrate proficiency in solving problems involving thermal

  conductivity

- State and apply the gas laws: Boyle’s, Charles’ and Gay Lussac’s

- Apply the Ideal Gas law and the General Gas law to the solution of

  problems involving changes in volume, pressure and temperature

- State the postulates of the kinetic theory

- Understand that the average translational energy of molecules in a

  gas is directly proportional to the absolute temperature

- State and apply the first law of thermodynamics

- Define and illustrate the four thermodynamic processes: isothermal,

  adiabatic, isovolumetric, isobaric process.

- Calculate of the work done on a PV diagram

- State and understand the implications of the second law of

  thermodynamics

- Describe a typical heat engine and define the efficiency of a heat

  engine

- Understand a Carnot engine and how its efficiency is expressed in

  terms of the Kelvin temperatures between which it operates

- Demonstrate proficiency in solving problems related to

  thermodynamic processes