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August 26, 2011
Published by Bryan at August 26, 2011
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In a nutshell Bell thought that different reference frames would allow superluminal communication between particles. Einstein’s special relativity predicts the well-known space and time contractions in different inertial frames, and perhaps these could explain the EPR paradox and rationalize non-locality.
July 15, 2011
Published by Bryan at July 15, 2011
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The more heat that is converted into work, the more efficient the process. The heat lost to the cold reservoir cannot be recovered. Efficiency is therefore define as the ratio of work out to heat in,...
July 13, 2011
Published by Bryan at July 13, 2011
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The Third Law of Thermodynamics says: if two separated systems are in thermal contact with a third, then at equilibrium they all have the same temperature.
Clearly when we bring two blocks together, heat will flow between them. This is an example of coupling systems A to B and to C so eventually the three will be in equilibrium. This coupling only allows heat to flow through direct contact.
July 11, 2011
Published by Bryan at July 11, 2011
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Suppose we have a system which is a drink in a glass. Certainly heat flows in and warms the cold drink, and mass changes when we add to the glass or drink the contents. The system is open.
June 30, 2011
Published by Bryan at June 30, 2011
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First it is never possible to obtain a true reversible path. It is an idealized case in which at every step along the way the system (the ball) is in equilibrium with its surroundings. Clearly if something is at equilibrium there is no noticeable change. Hence one says that a reversible process happens so slowly that equilibrium is always maintained.
June 2, 2011
Published by Bryan at June 2, 2011
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Another way to ask the same question: suppose you have eaten all the food you need to keep your metabolism and daily activity going, but then you have one cookie too many. How much fat will that put on you?
February 4, 2010
Published by Bryan at February 4, 2010
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httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgcxUjY021E In this video one of the many uses of plotting in the ebooks is given. The example is first order consecutive reactions where the rate equations for the the concentration changes are plotted. By varying the rate constants so that the first is ten times smaller than the second, the steady […]
February 4, 2010
Published by Bryan at February 4, 2010
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httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by9piRJElEI In this video step-a by-step description is given of a bomb calorimeter that is used to measure the internal energy of a sample. If you burn as sample completely and measure the heat that evolves, you can find the thermodynamic internal energy. Recall that internal energy is a state […]