9478 / 2027

Chapter 13

Thermodynamic Systems

Choose the system, identify its state and track energy crossing its boundary before applying the first law.

Distinguish state quantities from transfers and use energy conservation to explain thermal changes and measurements.

Internal energy and temperature, thermal equilibrium and the zeroth law, constant-pressure work and the first law, specific heat capacity, specific latent heat and calorimetry. For 9478 (2027).

Start readingRevision summaryRead whole chapter

Choose a topic

  1. Internal energy and thermal equilibrium

    Choose a system and connect its macroscopic state to microscopic energy, temperature and the zeroth law.

  2. Heating, work and the first law

    Derive gas displacement work and use one explicit sign convention to account for internal-energy changes.

  3. Temperature change and calorimetry

    Use specific heat capacity while separating sample energy from apparatus warming and losses.

  4. Phase change and latent heat

    Choose warming or phase-change stages and interpret latent-heat measurements and energy accounts.