Fundamentals of Thermodynamics

Purpose

This page lists the fundamental of thermodynamics because learning these topics is necessary and sufficient for competence.

The path to competence is to learn these topics using Deliberate Practice (DP).

About Thermodynamics

1. Why Learn Thermo? : So you can effectively understand, design and improve engines, machines, automobiles, airplanes, energy systems, computers, refrigerators, motors, and many other technologies that involve heat and power.
2. Thermodynamics: Thermodynamics is a subject studied by engineers and scientists that deals with energy, heat, work, and power—and how these quantities are transferred, transformed, and conserved in the real world.

• System, Surroundings
• Energy
  • Thermal Energy
  • Chemical Energy
  • Electrical Energy
  • Mechanical Energy
    • Kinetic Energy
    • Spring Potential Energy
    • Gravitational Potential
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Internal Energy
• Units
• Work
  • Mechanical Work
  • Electrical Work
  • Pv Work
  • Shaft Work
• Heat
• Power
• Law of Conservation of Mass
  • Closed System
  • Control Volume
• Processes
  • Adiabatic
  • Isentropic
  • Cyclic
  • Isobaric
• Temperature
• Systems, Surroundings (Environment), Boundary
• Types of Systems
  • Closed System
  • Open System
  • Isolated System
• Pressure
• Volume
• Mass, moles
• IGL
• First Law of Thermo
  • Closed System
    • Amount Form
    • Rate Form
  • Open System
• How Things Work
  • Piston
  • Compressor
  • Refrigeration or Heat Pump Cycle
  • Thermal Power Plant
• Phase Diagrams
• Quality
• Enthalpy
• Entropy
• Second Law of Thermo
• Heat Engine Rule
• Thermodynamic Property Tables
• Thermal Efficiency
• Understand the First Law of Thermodynamics (Energy Conservation)
• Understand the Second Law of Thermodynamics (Entropy and Irreversibility)
• Understand the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics (Thermal Equilibrium and Temperature)
• Understand the Third Law of Thermodynamics (Entropy at Absolute Zero)
• Know how to use thermodynamic properties (pressure, volume, temperature, entropy, enthalpy, internal energy)
• Know how to use property tables and diagrams (e.g., P-v, T-s, h-s, Mollier diagram)
• Understand ideal gas behavior and real gas deviations
• Analyze closed systems and open systems (control volumes)
• Apply energy balances to thermodynamic systems
• Apply mass conservation to control volumes
• Understand work and heat transfer mechanisms
• Analyze cyclic processes (e.g., Rankine, Otto, Diesel, Brayton cycles)
• Evaluate thermal efficiency of power and refrigeration cycles
• Understand the concept of exergy (availability) and its applications
• Analyze phase changes and pure substances
• Understand mixtures, especially air–water vapor systems (psychrometrics) ```

Let me know if you’d like a more advanced checklist or a version focused on application problems.

Basics of Statistics

• Understand the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics
• Know key terms: population, sample, parameter, statistic
• Differentiate types of data:
  • Quantitative vs. qualitative
  • Discrete vs. continuous
  • Nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio scales

Organizing and Visualizing Data

• Construct and interpret:
  • Frequency tables
  • Histograms
  • Bar charts and pie charts
  • Dot plots and stem-and-leaf plots
  • Box plots and scatter plots

Descriptive Statistics

• Calculate measures of central tendency:
  • Mean
  • Median
  • Mode
• Calculate measures of dispersion:
  • Range
  • Variance
  • Standard deviation
  • Interquartile range (IQR)
• Identify and interpret outliers
• Understand shape of distributions: skewness, symmetry, modality

Probability

• Understand probability concepts:
  • Experiment, outcome, event, sample space
• Know rules of probability:
  • Addition rule
  • Multiplication rule
  • Complement rule
• Distinguish between independent and dependent events
• Use conditional probability
• Apply Bayes’ Theorem (optional/advanced)

Random Variables and Probability Distributions

• Understand discrete and continuous random variables
• Work with discrete distributions:
  • Binomial
  • Poisson
• Work with continuous distributions:
  • Uniform
  • Normal (Gaussian)
  • Exponential
• Understand properties of the normal distribution
• Use the Empirical Rule (68-95-99.7 Rule)
• Use z-scores and standard normal tables

Sampling and Sampling Distributions

• Understand random sampling methods
• Know the Central Limit Theorem
• Compute and interpret standard error
• Understand sampling distribution of the sample mean/proportion

Confidence Intervals

• Construct and interpret confidence intervals:
  • For means (σ known and unknown)
  • For proportions
• Understand margin of error
• Use t-distribution vs. normal distribution

Hypothesis Testing

• Set up null and alternative hypotheses
• Know types of errors:
  • Type I (false positive)
  • Type II (false negative)
• Understand significance level (α)
• Perform one- and two-tailed tests
• Calculate and interpret p-values
• Use appropriate tests:
  • z-test
  • t-test (one sample, two sample, paired)
  • Chi-square test
  • ANOVA (advanced)

Correlation and Regression

• Calculate and interpret:
  • Correlation coefficient (r)
  • Coefficient of determination (r²)
• Perform simple linear regression
• Understand the regression equation: y = a + bx
• Check for linearity, outliers, and assumptions

Non-Parametric Tests (Optional/Advanced)

• Understand when to use non-parametric tests
• Use tests like:
  • Wilcoxon signed-rank
  • Mann-Whitney U
  • Kruskal-Wallis
  • Spearman’s rank correlation

Statistical Literacy

• Distinguish between correlation and causation
• Identify bias in sampling and data collection
• Understand confounding variables
• Interpret statistical results in context

Tools and Practice

• Use a scientific calculator or software (Excel, Python, R, SPSS)
• Practice with real-world datasets
• Communicate findings clearly in plain language and visuals