Chapter 1 Essential Book Concepts 11
What does thermodynamics refer to? 12
Types of known thermodynamics 14
Essential definitions to be known 18
Chapter 2 The Zeroth Law: Equilibrium Exchange
Principle 35
Introduction to the Zeroth Law 37
Analog experiment offer clarification of the Zeroth Law 38
Zeroth Law as an indicator of system equilibrium 42
Connecting the Zeroth Law to temperature in thermally equilibrium systems 47
Boltzmann's distribution arose to explain the system's state 52
Conclusion of the Zeroth Law chapter 68
Extending the idea outside its usual context! 70
Chapter 3. The First Law: Energy Must Be Conserved 95
System energy can be represented as heat that interfaces the system with its surroundings 97
Thermodynamic processes 103
Types of system energies 111
Heat (Enthalpy) represents the system's ability to accomplish work 113
Understanding the system's heat capacity 116
System heat capacity and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem 128
Substance structure influences heat capacity and energy levels 133
Extending the idea outside its usual context 137
Chapter 4 The Second Law: Entropy is a Prerequisite for Any Work to Take Place! 155
Introduction: Enthalpy and Entropy Are Essential System Properties That Determine Its Work Efficiency 158
Work efficiency can be determined via the equalization factor 168
Spontaneity of a process 171
Heat transmission against thermodynamically favorable entropy requires additional work 173
Energy sequestration, reverse energy transfer, and work-energy measurement 178
Entropy and process reversibility 182
Equilibrium's Architect: The Entropic Bridge Connecting Matter and Energy in the Universe's Tapestry 186
The cold sink facilitates system-to-universe entropy transfer 188
Returning to Carnot's formula, the pillar of work-efficient generators 190
Dynamics of Entropy Exchange: A Guided Process 191
Entropy originates from molecules that do not have specific energy states 193
Any system possesses residual entropy! 197
Extending the idea outside its usual context! 199
An approach to relate spontaneous work, entropy, and energy costs 225
Helmholtz Energy (A): Understanding Available Work and Entropy Taxation in Systems 232
Harnessing Gibbs Energy: The Key to Unlocking Work Potential in Equilibrium Systems 246
Chapter 5 The Third Law: The Unattainability of Zero 297
Important Concepts 300
The third law explains why a system's entropy cannot be eliminated 305
Path toward absolute zero 313
At the Threshold of Cold: Experimental Challenges in the Thermodynamic Quest for Absolute Zero 317
Venturing Beyond the Cycle: Non-Cyclic Approaches to Absolute Zero 330
Extending the idea outside its usual context! 359
Thermodynamic Equilibria: Engineering the Laws of Energy Conservation 371
The Inescapable Limits: Unpacking the Third Law of Thermodynamics 385
Extending the idea outside its usual context! 387
Intersecting Paths: Thermodynamic Coldness and Information Theory 412
Epilogue: Thermodynamics and the Tapestry of Information 415
References 417
