The science of thermodynamics deals with energy and its transformation. It tells us about the direction in which changes take place in nature. It also determines the conditions under which a proposed change attains a state of equilibrium.
We have seen that the thermodynamic properties of homogeneous pure substances depend only on the state of the system. The relationships developed for pure fluids are not applicable to solutions and need modification. The thermodynamic properties of solutions and heterogeneous systems consisting of more than one phase are influenced by the addition and removal of matter. The term solution includes homogeneous mixtures of two or more components in the gas, liquid or solid phase. The pressure, temperature and the amount of various constituent’s present determine the extensive state of a solution; and pressure, temperature and composition determine the intensive state. We discuss how the thermodynamic properties of a solution are determined and introduce certain concepts that are essential to the study of phase equilibria and chemical reaction equilibria.
- Teacher: Venkatesan D