PHYSICS 489 - Week 29

PHYS 29.1 The Clausius Inequality
Reading: Don't Panic Vol III pp 128-131
Homework: Ch. 5: Pr 4,5; Ex 4,5
Keywords: Clausius inequality

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session the student will be able to:
  1. To state the second law in terms of entropy.
  2. describe the connection between the Clausius inequality and the second law.

PHYS 29.2 Applications of the 2nd Law
Reading: Don't Panic Vol III pp 131-134
Homework: Ch. 5: Pr 6
Keywords: Illegal engines & refrigerators, Probability & entropy

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate the equivalence of the second law in terms of entropy and the Kelvin and Clausius statements by calculating the changes in entropy for the forbidden processes.
  2. determine whether a process will occur in nature by calculating the change in entropy.

PHYS 29.3 More on Entropy and Probability
Reading: Don't Panic Vol III pp 134-144
Homework: Ch. 5: Pr 6
Keywords: Probability & disorder

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session the student will be able to:
  1. explain the microscopic interpretation of entropy to a friend in high school, including such terms as micro- and macro-states, probability, and disorder. NOTE: You must still be friends after this exercise!
  2. determine the entropy change in the process of a free expansion of an ideal gas that doubles its volume.