Thelastfewdecadeshaveseenthedevelopmentofageneralapproachtothermodynamictheory.Continuumthermodynamicshasdemonstratedtoushowwecanbuildatheoryofthedynamicsofheatratherthanofstatics.InthisbookIwouldliketotransferwhatIhaveleamedaboutthegeneraltheorytoanintroductorylevelandtoappticationsinthesciencesandengineering.
Twoelementscombinetomakethispresentationofthermodynamicsdistinct.FirstofalI,takingasthefoundationthefundamentalideasthathavebeendevelopedincontinuumthermodynamicsallowsonetocombinetheclassicaltheoryofLhermodynamicsandLhecheoryofheattransferintoasingleedifice.Second,didactictoolshavebeenbuiltthatmakeitnotjustsimple,butrathernaturalandinevitabletouseentropyasthethermalquantitywithwhichtostarttheexposition.TheouLcomeisacoursethatisbothfundamentalandgearedtowardapplicationsinengineeringandthesciences.