General Physics III (Behaviour of Matter)

On completion, the students should be able to: 1. explain the concepts of heat and temperature and relate the temperature scales; 2. define, derive and apply the fundamental thermodynamic relations to thermal systems; 3. describe and explain the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and the concept of entropy; 4. state the assumptions of the kinetic theory and apply techniques of describing macroscopic behaviour; 5. deduce the formalism of thermodynamics and apply it to simple systems in thermal equilibrium; and 6. describe and determine the effect of forces and deformation of materials and surfaces.

Heat and temperature, temperature scales; gas laws; general gas equation; thermal conductivity; first Law of thermodynamics; heat, work and internal energy, reversibility; thermodynamic processes; adiabatic, isothermal, isobaric; second law of thermodynamics; heat engines and entropy, Zero’s law of thermodynamics; kinetic theory of gases; molecular collisions and mean free path; elasticity; Hooke's law, Young's shear and bulk moduli; hydrostatics; pressure, buoyancy, Archimedes' principles; Bernoullis equation and incompressible fluid flow; surface tension; adhesion, cohesion, viscosity, capillarity, drops and bubbles.