Bøger af Ingo Muller

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.

Here is a systematic introduction into the fundamental ideas of thermodynamics at a somewhat advanced level. The book details many applications of the theory in the fields of engineering, physics, chemistry, physical chemistry, and materials science.

Experiments with rubber balloons and rubber sheets have led to surprising observations, some of them hitherto unknown or not previously described in the literature.

Introductory textbook introducing the concept of competition of entropy and energy with various examples. Thermodynamics textbook explaining the roles of entropy and energy as prime movers of nature.

After describing the motifs and early evolution of this new branch of irreversible thermodynamics, the authors apply the theory to mon-atomic gases, mixtures of gases, relativistic gases, and "gases" of phonons and photons.

This book offers an easy to read, all-embracing history of thermodynamics. Coverage identifies not only the famous physicists who developed the field, but also engineers and scientists from other disciplines who helped in the development and spread of thermodynamics as well.