Thermal Physics: An Introduction to Thermodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Kinetic Theory

ISBN-10: 0198539223
ISBN-13: 9780198539223
Series: Thermal Physics
Pages: 335
Language: English
Published: 1988
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Author: P. C. Riedi

Description

The amount of time devoted to thermodynamics in many undergraduate courses has been reduced in recent years as newer subjects crowd the curriculum. One possible solution is to concentrate on a microscopic, statistical approach, and present the laws of thermodynamics as a by-product of
statistical mechanics. However, the macroscopic approach is valid and satisfying in its own right and represents one of the great achievements of classical physics. This introduction to thermodynamics presents both macroscopic and microscopic approaches to the subject. Reidi introduces each area
separately and then examines a number of selected topics from both points of view, presenting the strengths and weaknesses of each. This text thus provides a balanced discussion of thermal physics that will form a useful basis for further studies of the properties of matter, whether from a
thermodynamic or a statistical point of view.