CHAPTER 1 :

FUNDAMENTAL
CONCEPTS OF
THERMODYNAMICS
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Content
1. Introduction
2. Concepts of dimension, SI and Imperial Units
3. Dimensional homogeneity
4. Unit Conversion
5. Definition of a System, Boundary & Surrounding
6. Definition of energy conversion
7. Properties of systems, state & equilibrium
8. Definition of Process & Cycle
9. Zeroths Law of Thermodynamics

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 What is Thermodynamics??
Convert heat
Greek words therme (heat)
into power
- dynamics (power)
Thermodynamics the science of energy
- the study of the transfer of
energy, the work done & its
affect on matter
One of the most fundamental laws
- conservation of energy principle

Examples

1.2 Application of Thermodynamics

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2. CONCEPTS OF DIMENSION,
SI & IMPERIAL UNITS
Dimension any physical quantity
Magnitude assigned to dimension units
2 types of dimension
i) Fundamental dimension
ii) Derived dimension
Quantity

Unit

Symbol
m2
m3
m/s
m/s2

Area
Volume
Velocity
Acceleration

meter square
meter cube
meter per second
Meter per second
squared

Density

kilogram / meter cube

kg/m3

Newton/meter square

N
N/m2

Force
Pressure

Notes
1 m3 = 1 x 103 litre

1 N = 1 kgm/s2
1 N/m2 = 1 Pascal
1 bar = 105 N/m2 = 102
kN/m2

SI and Imperial Unit

English/Imperial Unit
also known as the United
States Customary System
(USCS)
NO apparent systematic
numerical base, & various
units in this system are
related to each other rather
arbitrarily
confusing and difficult to
learn.

SI Unit
metric SI (from Le
Systme International d
Units), which is also
known as the International
System
Simple & logical system
based on a decimal
relationship between the
various units
the SI is based on a
decimal relationship
between units.

3.DIMENSIONAL HOMOGENEITY
The Dimensional Homogeneity
Despite their causing us errors, units/dimensions
can be our friends.
All terms in an equation must be dimensionally
homogeneous.

That is, we cant add apples to oranges

Neither can we add J/mol to J/kg s.

Every term in an equation must have the same unit

4. UNIT CONVERSION
Measurements that describe physical quantities
may be expressed in a variety of different units.
As a result, one often has to convert a quantity
from one unit to another.
For example, convert, say,49 days into weeks
The Example of unit conversion
1 kg = 1000 g
1 m = 100 cm = 1000 mm
1 km = 1000 m = (100 000 cm @ 105 cm) = (1 000 000
mm @ 106 mm)
1 hour = 60 minutes = 3600 seconds
1 m3 = 1000 litre, or 1 litre = 1 x 10-3 m3
1 bar = 1 x 105 N/m2 = 1 x 102 kN/m2

Temperature Scales
The relations between temperature scales are:
T (K) = T(oC) + 273

T (oF) = 1.8T(oC) + 32.0

T (oF) = 1.8 (T(K)-273) + 32.0

Multiple and sub-multiple of the basic units are formed

by means of prefixes, and the ones most commonly used
are shown in the following table:

Example :
1)Convert 1 km/h to m/s
2)Convert 25 g/mm3 to kg/m3
3)The density of water at room temperature
and atmospheric pressure is 1.0 g/cm3.
Convert this to kg/m3

5. DEFINITION OF A SYSTEM,
BOUNDARY & SURROUNDING
System
a quantity of matter or a region in space chosen for

study.

Surrounding
The mass or region outside the system.

Boundary
The real or imaginary surface that separates the
system from its surroundings.

6. DEFINITION OF ENERGY
CONVERSION
Energy - the capacity for doing work.
- exist in a variety of forms such as
thermal, mechanical, kinetic, potential,
electric, magnetic, chemical, & nuclear.
Energy conversion
The process of changing energy from one form
to another
Example:
Heating water by gas:
Chemical energy ---> thermal energy
Heating water by electricity:
electric energy ---> thermal energy

7. PROPERTIES OF
SYSTEM,STATE & EQUILIBRIUM
Extensive properties
Values depend on the
size- or extent-of the
system
Ex: total mass, total
volume

Intensive properties
Independent of the
mass of the system
Ex: temperature,
pressure

Properties of
a system

Familiar properties:
-Pressure,temperature,
volume & mass

Cont.
State

Equilibrium

The state of a system is

its condition as
described by giving
values to its properties
at a particular instant.
A system is said to be
at steady state if none
of its properties
changes with time.

The word equilibrium

implies a state of
balance.
In an equilibrium state
there are no unbalanced
potentials (or driving
forces) within the
system.

8.DEFINITION OF PROCESS &

CYCLE
Process
- Any change that a system undergoes from one
equilibrium state to another is called a process,
- the series of states through which a system
passes during a process is called the path of the
process

Cycle
- A system is said to have undergone a cycle if it
returns to its initial state at the end of the process.
- That is, for a cycle the initial and final states are
identical.

9. ZEROTHS LAW OF
THERMODYNAMICS
The zeroth law of thermodynamics
states that if two bodies are in thermal equilibrium
with a third body, they are also in thermal
equilibrium with each other
Restated
two bodies are in thermal equilibrium if
both have the same temperature reading even
if they are not in contact