Thermodynamics

1. Introduction and Background

Le Chatelier’s Principle
A system at equilibrium, when subjected to a disturbance, responds in a way that tends to minimize
the effect of the disturbance. (If a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the
position of equilibrium moves to counteract the change.)

Equations of state
Known relationship between the state variables (mass [kg], amount [mol], volume [L], temperature
[K], pressure [bar])

Systems and their surroundings

Open system: can exchange matter and energy with its surroundings

Closed system: can exchange energy with its surroundings but not matter

Isolated: cannot exchange energy or matter with its surroundings

Work and heat as currencies of energy

Energy is the capacity to do work; the total energy of a particle is the sum of its kinetic and potential
energies → kinetic = motion; potential = position

2. The First Law (p44)

The conservation of energy: Internal energy
State functions and exact differentials
Expansion work
Reversible and irreversible changes
Heat capacity
Enthalpy
3. Thermochemistry
4. The Second Law