Thermodynamics

What the section holds

The largest of the engineering science sections. Properties of single-component systems, PVT behaviour, the first law, basic cycles, psychrometrics, the second law, heats of reaction, vapor-liquid equilibrium, phase relations, chemical reaction equilibria, and refrigeration and HVAC cycles. The steam tables and the psychrometric and pressure-enthalpy charts are inside it.

Why it matters for your exam

Thermodynamics is examined on Chemical, Mechanical, Environmental and Other Disciplines specifications, and it is the section that grew in the most recent handbook revision. Its property tables are long, which is exactly why finding the right one fast matters.

How to navigate it

The section is mostly tables and charts after the first third. Learn where the steam tables begin and where the cycle diagrams sit relative to them, because scrolling through thirty pages of property data to find a chart is the classic thermodynamics time sink.

Search terms that land here

steam tables | psychrometric chart | entropy | carnot | refrigerant

Subsections, in handbook order

These are the headings the handbook itself uses. The page number beside each is where it begins.

• Properties of Single-Component Systemsp142
• PVT Behaviorp143
• First Law of Thermodynamicsp146
• Basic Cyclesp148
• Psychrometricsp149
• Second Law of Thermodynamicsp149
• Heats of Reactionp151
• Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium (VLE)p152
• Chemical Reaction Equilibriap154
• Phase Relationsp154
• Refrigeration and HVAC Cyclesp172

Disciplines that use this section

• FE Chemical
• FE Environmental
• FE Mechanical
• FE Other Disciplines