A History of Thermodynamics: The Doctrine of Energy and Entropy

ISBN-13: 9783540462262 / Angielski / Twarda / 2007 / 320 str.

Ingo Muller

Opis

The most exciting and significant episode of scientific progress is the development of thermodynamics and electrodynamics in the 19th century and early 20th century. The nature of heat and temperature was recognized, the conservation of energy was discovered, and the realization that mass and energy are equivalent provided a new fuel, and unlimited power. Much of this occurred in unison with the rapid technological advance provided by the steam engine, the electric motor, internal combustion engines, refrigeration and the rectification processes of the chemical industry. The availability of cheap power and cheap fuel has had its impact on society: Populations grew, the standard of living increased, the envir- ment became clean, traffic became easy, and life expectancy was raised. Knowledge fairly exploded. The western countries, where all this happened, gained in power and influence, and western culture scientific culture spread across the globe, and is still spreading. At the same time, thermodynamics recognized the stochastic and probabilistic aspect of natural processes. It turned out that the doctrine of energy and entropy rules the world; the first ingredient energy is deterministic, as it were, and the second entropy favours randomness. Both tendencies compete, and they find the precarious balance needed for stability and change alike."

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"Müller ... summarizes the historical development of thermodynamic concepts, going into great depth to detail how certain discoveries were interconnected and how numerous researchers developed these theories based on current available knowledge. ... Readers will appreciate how researchers in the 19th century had to develop basic concepts ... . Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals." (H. Giesche, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (2), 2007)

"An exhaustive history and presentation of current state of research in the subject of thermodynamics. ... This book is too good ... . The author is an important leader in this field, with most impressive record of research publications. This is a great book, which should be in the library of any scientist interested in thermodynamics. It is easy to read ... . It contains a lot of information about thermodynamics, certainly the history, and biographies of prominent creators of our knowledge." (Vadim Komkov, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1131 (9), 2008)

Spis treści

Temperature.- Energy.- Entropy.- Entropy as S = k ln W.- Chemical Potentials.- Third Law of Thermodynamics.- Radiation Thermodynamics.- Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes.- Fluctuations.- Relativistic Thermodynamics.- Metabolism.

O autorze

The development of thermodynamics in the second half of the 19th century has had far-reaching impact on both technology and natural philosophy. True, the steam engine was converting heat into work before thermodynamics was developed as a branch of physics. But the systematic theory improved the conversion process, along with refrigeration and rectification and myriad other processes essential to modern life. So, thermodynamics has assisted humanity with cheap energy, cheap fuel and cheap, abundant, safer food. Thermodynamic research led to quantum mechanics, and to stellar physics. The expansion of thermodynamic technology and natural philosophy is reviewed in the book along with the struggles and fates of some of the engineers and physicists who pioneered the development.

Blurb

The development of thermodynamics in the second half of the 19th century has had a strong impact on both technology and natural philosophy.

It is true that the steam engine for the conversion of heat into work existed before thermodynamics was developed as a branch of physics. However, the systematic theory improved the conversion process, and it succeeded in developing other processes essential to modern life, notably refrigeration and rectification. So, altogether thermodynamics has provided humanity with cheap energy, and cheap fuel, -- consequently with cheap, and abundant, and unspoiled food. Thus thermodynamics has made populations grow, and life expectancy increase beyond anything people could possibly have imagined 200 years ago.

At the same time thermodynamics has uncovered the precarious balance between determinism and stochasticity which is essential to processes on earth, including life. The competition of those intentions is described by the doctrine of energy and entropy in thermodynamics; energy tends to force a system into one single state, and entropy tends to spread the system evenly over all possible states. These competing tendencies are weighted by temperature such that minimal energy determines cold systems.

The knowledge gained by thermodynamic research led to quantum mechanics, whose rules become predominant at low temperatures, and to stellar physics, where temperature is high enough to make relativity theory essential.

The expansion of thermodynamic technology and natural philosophy is reviewed in the book along with the struggles and fates of some of the engineers and physicists who pioneered the development.