Mike Pauken 
Thermodynamics For Dummies 

Take some heat off the complexity of thermodynamics

Does the mere thought of thermodynamics make you sweat? It
doesn’t have to! This hands-on guide helps you score your highest
in a thermodynamics course by offering easily understood,
plain-English explanations of how energy is used in things like
automobiles, airplanes, air conditioners, and electric power
plants.

* Thermodynamics 101 — take a look at some examples of both
natural and man-made thermodynamic systems and get a handle on how
energy can be used to perform work

* Turn up the heat — discover how to use the first and
second laws of thermodynamics to determine (and improve upon) the
efficiency of machines

* Oh, behave — get the 411 on how gases behave and relate to
one another in different situations, from ideal-gas laws to real
gases

* Burn with desire — find out everything you need to know
about conserving mass and energy in combustion processes

Open the book and find:

* The laws of thermodynamics

* Important properties and their relationships

* The lowdown on solids, liquids, and gases

* How work and heat go handin hand

* The cycles that power thermodynamic processes

* Chemical mixtures and reactions

* Ten pioneers in thermodynamics

* Real-world applications of thermodynamic laws and concepts

Learn to:

* Master the concepts and principles of thermodynamics

* Develop the problem-solving skills used by professional
engineers

* Ace your thermodynamics course

Table of Content

Introduction 1

Part I: Covering the Basics in Thermodynamics 7

Chapter 1: Thermodynamics in Everyday Life 9

Chapter 2: Laying the Foundation of Thermodynamics 15

Chapter 3: Working with Phases and Properties of Substances 39

Chapter 4: Work and Heat Go Together Like Macaroni and Cheese 57

Part II: Employing the Laws of Thermodynamics 75

Chapter 5: Using the First Law in Closed Systems 77

Chapter 6: Using the First Law in Open Systems 91

Chapter 7: Governing Heat Engines and Refrigerators with the Second Law 111

Chapter 8: Entropy Is the Demise of the Universe 123

Chapter 9: Analyzing Systems Using the Second Law of Thermodynamics 145

Part III: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Making Heat Work for You 165

Chapter 10: Working with Carnot and Brayton Cycles 167

Chapter 11: Working with Otto and Diesel Cycles 197

Chapter 12: Working with Rankine Cycles 221

Chapter 13: Cooling Off with Refrigeration Cycles 243

Part IV: Handling Thermodynamic Relationships, Reactions, and Mixtures 265

Chapter 14: Understanding the Behavior of Real Gases 267

Chapter 15: Mixing Gases That Don’t React with Each Other 277

Chapter 16: Burning Up with Combustion 303

Part V: The Part of Tens 325

Chapter 17: Ten Famous Names in Thermodynamics 327

Chapter 18: Ten More Cycles of Note 331

Appendix: Thermodynamic Property Tables 341

Index 351

About the author

Michael Pauken, Ph D, is a senior mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, an operating division of the California Institute of Technology, where he also teaches courses on thermodynamics and heat transfer.