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Laws of Thermodynamics : A Very Short Introduction

By: Series: Very Short IntroductionsPublication details: Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2010Description: 103ISBN:
  • 9780199572199
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 536.71 ATK
Summary: From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas or the cooling of a hot metal, to the unfolding of a thought in our minds and even the course of life itself, everything is governed by the four Laws of Thermodynamics. These laws specify the nature of 'energy' and 'temperature', and are soon revealed to reach out and define the arrow of time itself: why things change and why death must come. In this Very Short Introduction Peter Atkins explains the basis and deeper implications of each law, highlighting their relevance in everyday examples. Using the minimum of mathematics, he introduces concepts such as entropy, free energy, and to the brink and beyond of the absolute zero temperature. These are not merely abstract ideas: they govern our lives. In this concise and compelling introduction Atkins paints a lucid picture of the four elegant laws that, between them, drive the Universe.
List(s) this item appears in: New Arrivals September 2025-Liberal Arts and Humanities
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Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Book Book Alliance School of Liberal Arts and Humanities 536.71 ATK (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available LA06034
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From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas or the cooling of a hot metal, to the unfolding of a thought in our minds and even the course of life itself, everything is governed by the four Laws of Thermodynamics. These laws specify the nature of 'energy' and 'temperature', and are soon revealed to reach out and define the arrow of time itself: why things change and why death must come.

In this Very Short Introduction Peter Atkins explains the basis and deeper implications of each law, highlighting their relevance in everyday examples. Using the minimum of mathematics, he introduces concepts such as entropy, free energy, and to the brink and beyond of the absolute zero temperature. These are not merely abstract ideas: they govern our lives.

In this concise and compelling introduction Atkins paints a lucid picture of the four elegant laws that, between them, drive the Universe.

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