Thermal Physics: Entropy and Free Energies, 2/e (Hardcover)

The book aims to explain the basic ideas of thermal physics intuitively and in the simplest possible way. It is intended to make the reader feel comfortable with the ideas of entropy and of free energy. Thermal physics is prone to misunderstanding, confusion and is often overlooked. However, a good foundation is necessary to prepare the reader for advanced level studies.

Contents

• Introduction to Thermal Physics 

• All You Need to Know to Read the Rest of the Book 

• Isolated Thermal Systems 

• Systems in Contact with a Thermal Reservoir 

• Entropy as a Measure of Disorder 

• Open Systems Exposed to Heat and Particle Reservoir 

• Flexible Systems: Systems in Contact with Heat and Volume Reservoir 

• Two More Energy-Like Functions and Concluding Remarks 

• Quantum Ideal Gas 

• Thermodynamics 

• Energy Versus Free Energy 

• Phases and Phase Transitions 

• Second-Order Phase Transitions 

• Landau-Ginzburg Free Energy Functional and Applications 

• Quantum Fluid 

• Computer Simulations