Module 1 : Classical Thermodynamics

Lecture 1 : Review of Thermodynamics

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Behavoir of a thermodynamic system

The behavior of the system depends upon the interaction of energy with or without mass transfer
across the boundary. Every system has certain characteristics by which its physical conditions may
be described. Such behavior/characteristics of a system are called the properties of the system.
There are 8 (eight) properties describing the behavior of a system. They are pressure, temperature,
volume, entropy, internal energy, enthalpy, Gibbs function and Helmholtz functions. Pressure,
temperature and volume are measurable properties and they are also known as physical properties
(also known as macroscopic properties). Other properties are derived properties (they can not be
measured directly). In sense of thermodynamics, pressure is always expressed in terms of absolute
pressure and temperature is expressed in Kelvin.

When all the properties of a system have definite values, the system is said to exist in a definite
state. State of a thermodynamic system can be indicated in a diagram with properties as
coordinates.

Intensive and extensive properties

Thermodynamic properties can be divided into 2 (two) general classes such as intensive and
extensive properties. An intensive property, is a physical property of a system that does not depend
on the system size or the amount of material in the system. By contrast, an extensive property of a
system does depend on the system size or the amount of material in the system. According to the
definitions, density, pressure and temperature are intensive porperties and volume, internal energy
are extensive properties.

Symbols for representing properties: Extensive properties are symbolized by upper case (capital)
letter such as V (volume), KE (kinetic energy), PE (potential energy), etc. Intensive properties are
symbolized by lower case letters such as v (specific volume), ke (specific kinetic energy), e, u
(specific internal energy), h (specific enthalpy), etc. Mole based properties are symbolized by lower
case letters with overbars. For example , , , and are molar specific voulme, molar
specific energy, molar specific kinetic energy and molar specific potential energy respectively.

Exceptions: Temperature (intensive), mass (extensive), and number of moles (extensive). The use
of symbols for temperature, mass and moles are traditional.

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