Applications

We now turn from defining the state functions of a system to seeing how they behave in real processes. The central question is: given a particular physical or chemical change, how much heat will flow, and how much work will be done? By applying the first law of thermodynamics, we can calculate these quantities for processes like isothermal and adiabatic expansions, and for chemical reactions carried out under constant volume or constant pressure. This section bridges the abstract concepts of interna …