CONTENTS I TEMPERATURE THE ZEROTH LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS, 3 II QUANTITY OF HEAT THE FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS, 6 III THE LAW OF SPONTANEOUS PROCESSES THE SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS, 15 1. Survey of experimental facts, 18 2. The law of spontaneous processes, 22 3. Determination of the explicit form of <f>> 28 A. The reversible processes, 28 B. Change of <f> in an adiabatic reversible process, 32 C. Change of <f> in an isothermal reversible process, 35 D. Change of <f> in a general reversible process, 43 E. Change of <f> in a diffusive reversible process, 46 F. Verification, 50 4. Mathematical deductions, 55 IV APPLICATIONS, 58 1. Engineering applications, 58 2. Physical applications, 62 3. Chemical applications, 68
V THE MICROSCOPIC INTERPRETATION OF THERMODYNAMICS, 75 1. Interpretation of the first law of thermodynamics, 77 2. Interpretation of the second law of thermodynamics, 78 3. Interpretation of the zeroth law of thermodynamics, 83 EPILOGUE METHODOLOGY OF THERMODYNAMICS, 91