Overview

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Academic contacts

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Offerings

MURDOCH-S1-EXT-2024-ONGOING
MURDOCH-S1-INT-2024-ONGOING

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Other learning activities

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Learning activities

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Learning outcomes

1.

Explain and apply the fundamental laws of thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics to chemical and energy conversion processes.

2.

Apply appropriate mathematical techniques, including calculus, to quantitatively solve problems related to chemical and physical thermodynamics.

3.

Analyse chemical, thermal and energy conversion phenomena to explain and predict changes in chemical and physical processes.

4.

Demonstrate how to gather measurements of enthalpies, chemical, and phase equilibria in the laboratory and apply them to differing scenarios.

5.

Communicate concepts in thermodynamics, and relate them to an everyday device or application, for a specific audience, e.g. school group, university peers, general public.

Assessments

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Additional information

Unit content:
  • Zeroth, 1st, 2nd and 3rd law of thermodynamics
  • The Maxwell relations and the Helmholtz function
  • Energy conversions via vapor cycles and gas cycles
  • Thermodynamic probability, energy states and energy levels
  • Thermodynamic statistics: Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac and Maxwell-Boltzmann
  • Distribution functions: Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac and Maxwell-Boltzmann
  • The applications of statistical thermodynamics:
    • specific heat capacity
    • blackbody radiation
    • solar energy conversion including endoreversible process and engines.
    • Why do chemical reactions occur? Thermodynamic properties of chemical systems.
      • including Gibbs energy, Gibbs function and phase transition (chemistry?)
      • including Chemical potentials (chemistry?)
    • Chemical energy – From fossil fuels to fuel cells.
    • Electrochemical energy – From galvanic cells to real batteries.
    • Redox cycles – From metal production to corrosion.
    • Phase diagrams – From moonshine to steel.
    • Water everywhere – From Bayer process to ocean acidification.
    • Understanding real systems – From blast furnaces to metal overload diseases.
    • Non-equilibrium systems – From chemical clocks to living organisms.