Thermodynamics: General Concepts

This lecture covers the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics, focusing on the macroscopic properties of matter such as pressure, temperature, and internal energy. It explains the difference between the microscopic and macroscopic views of matter, introducing the laws of thermodynamics and their universal restrictions on energy transformations. The lecture also discusses the statistical physics approach to understanding the behavior of atoms and molecules, emphasizing the importance of probabilistic methods in characterizing their average behavior. Various examples and applications in engineering and natural sciences are provided to illustrate the broad applicability of thermodynamics.