Introduction to Thermodynamics (FutureLearn)

Learn about the ideal and non-ideal conditions for thermodynamics

Both science and engineering revolve around the nature of energy and energy exchange.

Whether you’re working on a small or industrial scale, it’s important to know the effects of pressure, temperature, and heat, as well as be able to accurately predict what will happen when these states change.

On this course, you’ll get to grips with the ideal and non-ideal conditions for thermodynamics.

You’ll consider how these conditions inform what we know about energy and how they can help us predict whether a chemical reaction will happen.

Explore the physics behind the ideal gas law with experts at the University of Hull

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Hull has contributed to major chemical developments in recent decades, contributing to liquid crystal displays, bioplastics, and smart materials.

The teaching within the department has been recognised by several innovative teaching awards.

Led by academics from this award-winning team, you’ll discover the underlying physics of gas molecules and their related properties.

Study the nature of energy and work

You’ll learn how to calculate the amounts – in moles and mass – of chemical substances, and compare gases in ideal and non-ideal conditions to improve calculation accuracy.

You’ll also learn how to predict a chemical reaction based on energetic properties and temperature, classify reactions as endothermic or exothermic, and predict and classify reactions as spontaneous or nonspontaneous.

What topics will you cover?

- The ideal gas law – calculation of temperature, pressure and volume

- Non-ideal conditions (real gases) and compression

- The nature of energy and work

- Heat capacity

- Entropy and free energy

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- Calculate pressures, temperatures and volumes of gases and gas mixtures, and how these will respond to changing conditions

- Explain the underlying basic physics of gas molecules and their related properties

- Describe the relationship between thermodynamic properties such as energy, pressure and temperature

- Calculate the amounts, in moles and mass, of chemical substances based on their gaseous properties

- Compare gases in ideal and non-ideal (more realistic) conditions to improve the accuracy of calculations

- Demonstrate whether a chemical reaction will happen based on its energetic properties and temperature

- Classify chemical reactions as endothermic or exothermic, predict whether they increase or decrease in entropy, and then finally predict and classify reactions as spontaneous or non-spontaneous