Chapter 1: Introduction to Thermodynamics

The principles of thermodynamics are applied by engineers to analyze and design a wide variety of devices intended to meet human needs

identify systems and describe system behavior in terms of properties (specific volume, pressure, temperature etc.) and processes

Key terms and concepts

• system - the defined body being studied

• surrounding - everything outside the system

• closed system - a particular quantity of matter being studied, there is no change in mass across the boundary (there can be a change in energy)

• control volume - a region with a prescribed boundary being studied, there can be change in mass and energy across the boundary,

• extensive property - value for overall system is the sum of values for the parts into which system divides (ex. mass, volume, energy)

• intensive property - not additive, values are independent of size (ex. temperature, pressure, density)

• equilibrium - there are no changes in in a systems observable properties

• specific volume - volume per unit mass

Temperature conversions