p. 252. Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics
- Roger BowleyRoger BowleyDepartment of Physics University of Nottingham
- , and Mariana Sánchez
Abstract
This chapter focuses on entropy, which is a function of state for an ideal gas that uses an integrating factor on the inverse of the temperature according to the ideal gas scale. It refers to the use of the second law of thermodynamics to prove that the most efficient engine operating between two heat baths is a Carnot engine. It also discusses the temperature scale that can be defined from the ratio of heat flows in one cycle of the Carnot engine. The chapter defines a thermal reservoir of heat bath as a body that has a huge heat capacity wherein temperature does not change, such as a block of copper that can act as a thermal reservoir for small additions of heat energy. It looks at the simplest expressions of the second law of thermodynamics that relate to a cycle of processes in which heat flows between hot and cold reservoirs that produce work.
