A Student's Guide to Entropy

Description

Striving to explore the subject in as simple a manner as possible, this book helps readers understand the elusive concept of entropy. Innovative aspects of the book include the construction of statistical entropy from desired properties, the derivation of the entropy of classical systems from purely classical assumptions, and a statistical thermodynamics approach to the ideal Fermi and ideal Bose gases. Derivations are worked through step-by-step and important applications are highlighted in over 20 worked examples. Around 50 end-of-chapter exercises test readers' understanding. The book also features a glossary giving definitions for all essential terms, a time line showing important developments, and list of books for further study. It is an ideal supplement to undergraduate courses in physics, engineering, chemistry and mathematics.

Don S. Lemons is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Bethel College and a Guest Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He taught undergraduate physics at Bethel College for 23 years.

'In A Student's Guide to Entropy, Don Lemons conveys both mathematical and physical intuition of entropy ... [he] is very thorough, clear, and succinct in his explanations, making sure that no subtlety is left unnoticed or unaccounted for. The reader feels that he/she is being taught and guided by an experienced teacher of thermodynamics and entropy ... This book will be essential not only to students but also to faculty who are charged with the difficult task of teaching a subject that involves entropy ... a thorough, self-contained guide to entropy for students and teachers.' Effrosyni Seitaridou, American Journal of Physics 'The book is well written ... Highly recommended.' Choice '... a truly first-rate book on the subject, and I would happily recommend it as the main (and inexpensive) text for a course of statistical mechanics.' The Observatory 'A Student's Guide to Entropy is an excellent textbook for undergraduate students and early stage graduate students in physics and engineering. ... Each concept is well defined - mathematical derivation of theories is rigorous and proceeds from fundamental notions to their final form in a methodical, step-by-step manner. The physical meaning of these equations is then explained in simple words, which is perhaps the most impressive feature of this book.' Prashant Khare, Contemporary Physics