- 1.1 Molecular Basis of Thermodynamics
- 1.2 Statistical versus Classical Thermodynamics
- 1.3 Definitions
- 1.4 Units
- 1.5 Summary
- 1.6 Problems
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
1.2 Statistical versus Classical Thermodynamics
Historically, a large part of thermodynamics was developed before the emergence of atomic and molecular theories of matter. This part has come to be known as classical thermodynamics and makes no reference to molecular concepts. It is based on two basic principles (“laws”) and produces a rigorous mathematical formalism that provides exact relationships between properties and forms the basis for numerical calculations. It is a credit to the ingenuity of the early developers of thermodynamics that they were capable of developing a correct theory without the benefit of molecular concepts to provide them with physical insight and guidance. The limitation is that classical thermodynamics cannot explain why a property has the value it does, nor can it provide a convincing physical explanation for the various mathematical relationships. This missing part is provided by statistical thermodynamics. The distinction between classical and statistical thermodynamics is partly artificial, partly pedagogical. Artificial, because thermodynamics makes physical sense only when we consider the molecular phenomena that produce the observed behaviors. From a pedagogical perspective, however, a proper statistical treatment requires more time to develop, which leaves less time to devote to important engineering applications. It is beyond the scope of this book to provide a bottom-up development of thermodynamics from the molecular level to the macroscopic. Instead, our goal is to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to perform thermodynamic calculations in chemical engineering settings. We will use molecular concepts throughout the book to shed light to new concepts but the overall development will remain under the general umbrella of classical thermodynamics. Those who wish to pursue the connection between the microscopic and the macroscopic in more detail, a subject that fascinated some of the greatest scientific minds, including Einstein, should plan to take an upper-level course in statistical mechanics from a chemical engineering, physics, or chemistry program.
The Laws of Classical Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is built on a small number of axiomatic statements, propositions that we hold to be true on the basis of our experience with the physical world. Statistical and classical thermodynamics make use of different axiomatic statements; the axioms of statistical thermodynamics have their basis on statistical concepts; those of classical thermodynamics are based on behavior that we observe macroscopically. There are two fundamental principles in classical thermodynamics, commonly known as the first and second law.3 The first law expresses the principle that matter has the ability to store energy within. Within the context of classical thermodynamics, this is an axiomatic statement since its physical explanation is inherently molecular. The second law of thermodynamics expresses the principle that all systems, if left undisturbed, will move towards equilibrium –never away from it. This is taken as an axiomatic principle because we cannot prove it without appealing to other axiomatic statements. Nonetheless, contact with the physical world convinces us that this principle has the force a universal physical law.
Other laws of thermodynamics are often mentioned. The “zeroth” law states that, if two systems are in thermal equilibrium with a third system, they are in equilibrium with each other. The third law makes statements about the thermodynamic state at absolute zero temperature. For the purposes of our development, the first and second law are the only two principles needed in order to construct the entire mathematical theory of thermodynamics. Indeed, these are the only two equations that one must memorize in thermodynamics; all else is a matter of definitions and standard mathematical manipulations.
The “How” and the “Why” in Thermodynamics
Engineers must be skilled in the art of how to perform the required calculations, but to build confidence in the use of theoretical tools it is also important to have a sense why our methods work. The “why” in thermodynamics comes from two sources. One is physical: the molecular picture that gives meaning to “invisible” quantities such as heat, temperature, entropy, equilibrium. The other is mathematical and is expressed through exact relationships that connect the various quantities. The typical development of thermodynamics goes like this:
(a) Use physical principles to establish fundamental relationships between key properties. These relationships are obtained by applying the first and second law to the problem at hand.
(b) Use calculus to convert the fundamental relationships from step (a) into useful expressions that can be used to compute the desired quantities.
Physical intuition is needed in order to justify the fundamental relationships in step (a). Once the physical problem is converted into a mathematical one (step [b]), physical intuition is no longer needed and the gear must shift to mastering the “how.” At this point, a good handle of calculus becomes indispensable, in fact, a prerequisite for the successful completion of this material. Especially important is familiarity with functions of multiple variables, partial derivatives and path integrations.