Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION AND
BASIC CONCEPTS
 Objectives
• Identify the unique vocabulary associated with
thermodynamics through the precise definition of
basic concepts to form a sound foundation for the
development of the principles of thermodynamics.
• Review the metric SI and the English unit systems.
• Explain the basic concepts of thermodynamics such
as system, state,equilibrium, process, and cycle.
• Review concepts of temperature, temperature scales,
pressure, and absolute and gage pressure.
• Introduce an intuitive systematic problem-solving
technique.

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 THERMODYNAMICS AND ENERGY
• Thermodynamics: The science of
energy.
• Energy: The ability to cause changes.
• The name thermodynamics stems from
the Greek words therme (heat) and
dynamis (power).
• Conservation of energy principle:
During an interaction, energy can change
from one form to another but the total
amount of energy remains constant.
• Energy cannot be created or destroyed.
• The first law of thermodynamics: An
expression of the conservation of energy
principle.
Energy cannot be created
• The first law asserts that energy is a or destroyed; it can only
thermodynamic property. change forms (the first law).
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• The second law of thermodynamics:
It asserts that energy has quality as
well as quantity, and actual processes
occur in the direction of decreasing
quality of energy.
• Classical thermodynamics: A
macroscopic approach to the study of
thermodynamics that does not require
Conservation of energy
a knowledge of the behavior of
principle for the human body.
individual particles.
• It provides a direct and easy way to the
solution of engineering problems and it
is used in this text.
• Statistical thermodynamics: A
microscopic approach, based on the
average behavior of large groups of
individual particles.
• It is used in this text only in the Heat flows in the direction of
supporting role. decreasing temperature. 4
Application Areas of Thermodynamics

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 Applications of Thermal-Fluid
Sciences

The human body

Air-conditioning Airplanes
systems

Car radiators Power plants

Refrigeration systems
Steam Power Plant
Nuclear Power Plant
Automotive Engineering
Ocean Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
 Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration Engineering
 IMPORTANCE OF DIMENSIONS AND UNITS
• Any physical quantity can be characterized by
dimensions.
• The magnitudes assigned to the dimensions
are called units.
• Some basic dimensions such as mass m,
length L, time t, and temperature T are
selected as primary or fundamental
dimensions,
• while others such as velocity V, energy E, and
volume V are expressed in terms of the
primary dimensions and are called
secondary dimensions, or derived
dimensions.

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 IMPORTANCE OF DIMENSIONS AND UNITS
• Metric SI system: A simple and logical
system based on a decimal relationship
between the various units.

• English system: It has no apparent

systematic numerical base, and various units
in this system are related to each other rather
arbitrarily, which makes it confusing and
difficult to learn.
• 12 in= 1 ft
• 1 mile= 5280 ft
• 4qt= gal

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Some SI and English Units
lbm= pound mass

Work = Force  Distance

1 J = 1 N∙m The SI unit prefixes are used in all
1 cal = 4.1868 J branches of engineering.
1 Btu = 1.0551 kJ

lbf=pound force

The definition of the force units.

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Some SI and English Units

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Dimensional homogeneity
All equations must be dimensionally homogeneous.

To be dimensionally
homogeneous, all the
terms in an equation
must have the same unit.

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Unity Conversion Ratios
All nonprimary units (secondary units) can be formed by combinations
of primary units.
Force units, for example, can be expressed as

They can also be expressed more conveniently as unity

conversion ratios as

Unity conversion ratios are identically equal to 1 and are unitless, and
thus such ratios (or their inverses) can be inserted conveniently into any
calculation to properly convert units. 19
CLASSIFICATION
Statistical and Classical Thermodynamics
• Statistical Thermodynamics is microscopic approach in which,
the matter is assumed to be made of numerous individual
molecules. Deals with structure and properties of matter on an
atomic/molecular level; studied and used by physicists and
chemists.
• Requires advanced statistical and mathematical model from
large number of variables.
CLASSIFICATION
Statistical and Classical Thermodynamics
• Classical thermodynamics is macroscopic approach. Here, the
matter is considered to be a continuum without any concern to
its atomic structure. Properties are taken as average
• Nothing is examine at atomic or molecular level. Applicable
in large systems. Such as, engines, power plants, refrigerators;
studied and used by engineers.
 SYSTEMS AND CONTROL VOLUMES
• System: A quantity of matter or a region
in space chosen for study.
• Surroundings: The mass or region
outside the system
• Boundary: The real or imaginary surface
that separates the system from its
surroundings.
• The boundary of a system can be fixed or
movable.
• Systems may be considered to be closed
or open.
• Closed system
(Control mass):
A fixed amount
of mass, and no
mass can cross
its boundary.
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 • Open system (control volume): A properly
selected region in space.
• It usually encloses a device that involves
mass flow such as a compressor, turbine, or
nozzle.
• Both mass and energy can cross the
boundary of a control volume.
• Control surface: The boundaries of a control
volume. It can be real or imaginary.

An open system (a
control volume) with one
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inlet and one exit.
 PROPERTIES
OF A SYSTEM
• Property: Any characteristic of a
system.
• Some familiar properties are
pressure P, temperature T, volume
V, and mass m.
• Properties are considered to be
either intensive or extensive.
• Intensive properties: Those that
are independent of the mass of a
system, such as temperature,
pressure, and density.
• Extensive properties: Those
whose values depend on the size of
the system. Such as, total volume,
total mass Criterion to differentiate intensive
• Specific properties: Extensive and extensive properties.
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properties per unit mass. Such as,
specific volume (v=V/m)
 Comparison of
temperature
scales.

Here R is
Rankine scale

• The reference temperature in the original Kelvin scale was the ice point,
273.15 K, which is the temperature at which water freezes (or ice melts).
• The reference point was changed to a much more precisely reproducible
point, the triple point of water (the state at which all three phases of water
coexist in equilibrium), which is assigned the value 273.16 K.

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 Temperature Scales
• Celsius scale: in SI unit system
• Fahrenheit scale: in English unit system
• Thermodynamic temperature scale: A temperature scale that is independent
of the properties of any substance.
• Kelvin scale (SI)
• Rankine scale (English system)

• All temperature scales are based on some easily reproducible states such as the
freezing and boiling points of water: the ice point and the steam point.
• Ice point: A mixture of ice and water that is in equilibrium with air saturated with
vapor at 1 atm pressure (0°C or 32°F).
• Steam point: A mixture of liquid water and water vapor (with no air) in
equilibrium at 1 atm pressure (100°C or 212°F).

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DENSITY AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY
Density Specific gravity: The ratio
of the density of a
substance to the density of
some standard substance
Specific volume at a specified temperature
(usually water at 4°C).

Specific weight: The

weight of a unit volume
of a substance.

Density is
mass per unit
volume;
specific volume
is volume per
unit mass.
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Thermodynamic State

• When a system does not undergo any change,

all the properties have fixed values. This
condition is known as a thermodynamic state
OR
• A state of system is defined by value of its
properties.
STATE AND EQUILIBRIUM
• Thermodynamics deals with
equilibrium states.
• Equilibrium: A state of balance.
• In an equilibrium state there are no
unbalanced potentials (or driving
forces) within the system.
• Thermal equilibrium: If the
temperature is the same throughout
the entire system. E.g., Put a hot A system at two different states.
rod in a glass of water
• Mechanical equilibrium: If there is
no change in pressure , force at any
point of the system with time.
• Chemical equilibrium: If the
chemical composition of a system
does not change with time, that is,
no chemical reactions occur.

• A system will not be in equilibrium A closed system reaching thermal

unless all the relevant equilibrium equilibrium. 29
criteria are satisfied
PROCESSES AND CYCLES
Process: Any change that a system undergoes from one equilibrium state to
another.
Path: The series of states through which a system passes during a process.
To describe a process completely, one should specify the initial and final states,
as well as the path it follows, and the interactions with the surroundings.
Quasistatic or quasi-equilibrium process: When a process proceeds in such
a manner that the system remains infinitesimally close to an equilibrium state
at all times.

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• Process diagrams plotted by
employing thermodynamic properties
as coordinates are very useful in
visualizing the processes.
• Some common properties that are
used as coordinates are temperature
T, pressure P, and volume V (or
specific volume v).
• The prefix iso- is often used to
designate a process for which a
particular property remains constant.

• Cycle: A process during which the

initial and final states are identical. A
system return to its initial state at the
end of a process.

The P-V diagram of a compression

process.

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