Mere Thermodynamics

Presenting classic thermodynamics as a concise and discrete whole, Mere Thermodynamics is a perfect tool for teaching a notoriously difficult subject. Don S. Lemons introduces the physical theory's concepts and methods and uses them to solve common physics problems, illustrating at a gentle pace advanced concepts such as the relationship between the second law of thermodynamics and entropy. He highlights the intellectual structure and history of thermodynamics and explores the logical consequences of each of the discipline's three laws. Lemons explains and illustrates the first two laws of thermodynamics and their corollaries; the methods and applications of thermodynamics; the third law; and the concepts of non-fluid variables, equilibrium and stability, and two-phase systems. The book features end-of-chapter practice problems, an appendix of worked problems, a glossary of terms, and an annotated bibliography.''Don Lemons's Mere Thermodynamics is a gem of physics pedagogy. Elegantly written and both physically and mathematically insightful, this book should be required reading for all courses on thermodynamics.''-Robert C. Hilborn, University of Texas at Dallas''With thoughtful craftsmanship, Lemons unfolds the essential elements of thermodynamics in a manner that deepens our appreciation and understanding, not only for the physics, but also for the subject's history and philosophical inferences.''-Dwight E. Neuenschwander, Southern Nazarene University