Thermodynamic Processes & Cycles
Heat Engines
We use thermodynamic machines to do our bidding in modern society. Combustion engines, refrigerators, even your cell phone can be studied as a thermodynamic system under going cycles. The analysis of such a system culminates our study of thermo because it incorporates many of the features learned about - ideal gas law, 1st and 2nd law of thermo, and the kinetic theory of gases are all relevant.
PV Diagrams, Processes
PV-Diagrams chart the change in pressure and volume of some gas as it undergoes some thermodynamic process. They are typically a plot with pressure on the vertical axis and volume on the horizontal. They show transitions from one state (Pi,Vi) to another state (Pf,Vf).
Cycles & Efficiency
Smarter Every Day explains the workings of a perfect example of a thermodynamics system, an engine.
