Chapter 1 BASIC

CONCEPTS & DEFINITIONS

WHAT IS THERMODYNAMICS? A branch of
physical science dealing with relations between
Heat & Work / An experimental or empirical
science.
THERMODYNAMIC SYSTEM The subject of
the analysis, the space containing the working
fluid whose behaviour is being investigated.
The shape or volume of the system is not
necessarily constant.

 WORKING FLUID The fluid working in

the thermodynamic system.
SURROUNDINGS Everything external
to the system, it is affected by what takes
place in the system.
BOUNDARY A physical or imaginary
arbitrary surface enveloping the space
being studied.
CLOSED SYSTEM The system
containing the same working fluid, no
mass transfer across the boundary
Adiabatic & Isolated systems.

 OPEN SYSTEM The working fluid

flowing through the boundary.
Control Volume A region of space
studied in a particular analysis / A region
of space through which mass flows.
Heat Engine, Heat Pump and
Refrigeration Cycle.
High Temperature Reservoir & Low
Temperature Reservoir (Sink).
Attention: the sign convention of HEAT
and WORK.

 STATE The condition of the system at

which it exists / determined by the
properties of the working fluid.
PROCESS A transformation from one
state to another.
CYCLE A sequence of processes that
begins and ends at the same state.
EQUILIBRIUM Primary emphasis &
fundamental concept of Classical
Thermodynamics / Ex: isolate the system
from its surroundings and watch for
changes in its observable properties.

 PHASE: a quantity of matter that is

homogeneous throughout in both
chemical composition and physical
structure. When more than one phase is
present, the phases are separated by
phase boundaries.
A quantity is a PROPERTY if, and only if,
its change in value between two states is
independent of the process. It follows that
if the value of a particular quantity
depends on the details of the process,
and not solely on the end states, that
quantity cannot be a property.

 PROPERTIES OF WORKING FLUID

Two general classes: Extensive and
Intensive. Extensive property depends on
mass or on size of the system. Intensive
property is independent of mass or of
size of the system.
Examples: Intensive properties
temperature, pressure, specific volume,
density, / Extensive properties mass,
volume, internal energy,

 TEMPERATURE Absolute Temperature

/ Units : Celcius, Kelvin, Fahrenheit &
Rankine
PRESSURE Gauge Pressure, Zero
Pressure, Atmospheric Pressure &
Absolute Pressure / Units
SPECIFIC VOLUME & DENSITY The
relationship between Mass & Volume /
Units / Independent & Dependent
Properties

INTERNAL ENERGY Units & Symbol

ENTHALPY Units & Symbol
ENTROPY Units & Symbol
EXERGY (AVAILABILITY)
Experiments show that, only two
independent properties are necessary
and sufficient to describe the state of a
closed system.

SUMMARY

System the subject of a thermodynamic

analysis.
Control Volume a region of space through which
mass flows.
Property macroscopic characteristics of a
system to which numerical values can be
assigned at any time without knowledge of the
history of the system.
Intensive Property property whose value is
independent of the size or extent of the system
and whose value may vary from place to place
within the system.
Equilibrium State a state of a system in which no
tendency for spontaneous change exists within the
system.

 Process a transformation from one state to

another.
Thermodynamic Cycle a process that begins
and ends at the same state.
Phase a quantity of matter that is
homogeneous throughout in both chemical
composition and physical structure.
Adiabatic Process a process of a system that
occurs while the system is enclosed in an
ideally insulating wall that precludes any
thermal interaction between the system and its
surroundings.

Closed System a system that contains a

particular quantity of matter, and no matter
may across its boundary.
Isolated System a closed system that does
not interact in any way with its surroundings.
Steady State a condition of a system in
which none of its properties change with time.
Extensive Property property whose value
for an overall system is the sum of its values
for the parts into which the system is divided.

 Macroscopic Viewpoint concerned with the gross or

overall behavior of a system. No direct use is made of
models on the molecular, atomic or subatomic levels.
Pure Substance uniform and invariable in chemical
composition.
Quasiequilibrium Process idealized process in which
the departure from equilibrium is at most infinitesimal.
Primary Dimensions a relatively small number of
physical quantities sufficient to conceive of and
measure all others.
Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics two bodies in
thermal equilibrium with a third body are in thermal
equilibrium with each other.

ATTENTION
BTU (British Thermal Unit) is the amount of
energy required to raise the temperature of 1 lb
of pure water by 1oF, from 59.5oF to 60.5oF
Although any two independent properties are
sufficient to fix the state of a simple
compressible system at equilibrium, it is
convenient to think in terms of a unit mass of
substance.
Absolute pressure and absolute temperature
must be used in thermodynamic relations.