Thermodynamics: laws, systems, and branches

Definition and scope of thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that studies heat, work, and temperature and how these quantities relate to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. Its behavior is governed by the four laws of thermodynamics, which provide quantitative descriptions using measurable macroscopic variables, while statistical mechanics can explain these behaviors in terms of microscopic constituents. Thermodynamics applies broadly across science and engineering, including physical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and fields such as meteorology. The scope of thermodynamics includes analyzing how thermodynamic systems respond to changes in their surroundings, using concepts such as the thermodynamic system and its surroundings, equations of state, internal energy, thermodynamic potentials, and equilibrium/spontaneous processes. Classical thermodynamics focuses mainly on systems near thermodynamic equilibrium, while non-equilibrium thermodynamics extends the framework to systems not in equilibrium. Related branches include statistical thermodynamics (statistical mechanics), chemical thermodynamics (spontaneity and entropy in chemical reactions), and equilibrium thermodynamics (transfers of matter and energy between equilibrium states).

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Four laws of thermodynamics overview

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