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The various solid/liquid/gas transitions are classified as first-order transitions because they involve a discontinuous change in density, which is the (inverse of the) first derivative of the free energy with respect to pressure. Second-order phase transitions are continuous in the first derivative (the order parameter, which is the first ...
The establishment of the concept of internal energy distinguishes the first law of thermodynamics from the more general law of conservation of energy. = + + Work is a process of transferring energy to or from a system in ways that can be described by macroscopic mechanical forces acting between the system and its surroundings. The work done by ...
The first and second law of thermodynamics are the most fundamental equations of thermodynamics. They may be combined into what is known as fundamental thermodynamic relation which describes all of the changes of thermodynamic state functions of a system of uniform temperature and pressure.
During the early 20th century, two major publications successfully applied the principles developed by Gibbs to chemical processes and thus established the foundation of the science of chemical thermodynamics. The first was the 1923 textbook Thermodynamics and the Free Energy of Chemical Substances by Gilbert N. Lewis and Merle Randall.
Transition state structures can be determined by searching for first-order saddle points on the potential energy surface (PES) of the chemical species of interest. [4] A first-order saddle point is a critical point of index one, that is, a position on the PES corresponding to a minimum in all directions except one.
Landau theory (also known as Ginzburg–Landau theory, despite the confusing name [1]) in physics is a theory that Lev Landau introduced in an attempt to formulate a general theory of continuous (i.e., second-order) phase transitions. [2]
In terms of energy flow, the movement from a magnetically aligned state requires energy from the thermal motion of the molecules, converting thermal energy into magnetic energy. [24] Yet, according to the second law of thermodynamics , because no heat can enter or leave the container, due to its adiabatic insulation, the system should exhibit ...
Internal energy is a principal property of the thermodynamic state, while heat and work are modes of energy transfer by which a process may change this state. A change of internal energy of a system may be achieved by any combination of heat added or removed and work performed on or by the system.