Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics ->> MICROSCOPIC BASIS OF THERMODYNAMICS The recognition that all matter is made up of molecules provided a microscopic foundation for thermodynamics. A thermodynamic system consisting of a pure substance can be described as a collection of like molecules, each with its individual motion describable in terms of such mechanical variables as velocity and momentum. At least in principle, it should therefore be possible to derive the collective properties of the system by solving equations of motion for the molecules. In this sense, thermodynamics could be regarded as a mere application of the laws of mechanics to the microscopic system. Objects of ordinary size—that is, ordinary on the human scale—contain immense numbers (on the order of 1024) of molecules. Assuming the molecules to be spherical, each would need three variables to describe its position and three more to describe its velocity. Describing a macroscopic system in this way would be a task that even the lar