I describe subtle calculus ideas that are essential for thermodynamics, but are typically not encountered by students in calculus or prior physics classes. I argue that these previously unencountered subtleties are a substantial cause of the difficulty that many students encounter in learning thermodynamics and that thermodynamics can be taught more effectively by introducing the subtleties within an environment with which students are familiar rather than insisting that students learn them at the same time that they encounter new physics concepts such as entropy and thermodynamic potentials. I show how Legendre transforms can be used to illustrate the important calculus concepts and the nature of thermodynamics calculations. An added advantage of this approach is that it provides a coherent picture of the thermodynamic potentials.
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June 2004
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June 01 2004
Connecting thermodynamics to students’ calculus Available to Purchase
Joel W. Cannon
Joel W. Cannon
Department of Physics, Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania 15301
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Joel W. Cannon
Department of Physics, Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania 15301
Am. J. Phys. 72, 753–757 (2004)
Article history
Received:
August 05 2003
Accepted:
December 19 2003
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Comment on “Connecting thermodynamics to students’ calculus,” by Joel W. Cannon [Am. J. Phys. 72 (6), 753–757 (2004)]
Citation
Joel W. Cannon; Connecting thermodynamics to students’ calculus. Am. J. Phys. 1 June 2004; 72 (6): 753–757. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1648327
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