Atmospheric thermodynamics / Craig F. Bohren, Bruce A. Albrecht.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bohren, Craig F., 1940- author.

Albrecht, Bruce A., author.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Atmospheric thermodynamics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (609 pages)

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2023.

Summary:

Presenting a comprehensive treatment of thermodynamic processes operation in the atmosphere, the core of this text focuses on water and its transformations. Initial chapters lay the foundations, from energy conservation to the ideal gas law, specific heat capacities, adiabatic processes, and entropy. More than 400 thought-provoking problems are included.

Contents:

cover

titlepage

copyright

dedication

Preface to Second Edition

Acknowledgments

Preface to the First Edition

Contents

1 Introduction: Conservation of Energy

1.1 Thermodynamics: A Science of Measurable Quantities

1.2 Conservation of Energy in Mechanics

1.3 Conservation of Energy: A System of Point Molecules

1.4 A Few Examples of Energy Conservation

*1.5 Kinetic Energy Exchanges in Molecular Interactions (Collisions)

1.6 Working and Heating

An Example of Working

1.7 Some Necessary Thermodynamic Concepts and Jargon

1.8 Thermodynamic Internal Energy and the First Law

Irreverent Thoughts about Heat

How Does One Measure ``Amount of Heat?''

Description and Explanation

A Few Parting Shots

Annotated References and Suggestions for Further Reading

Problems

2 Ideal Gas Law: Pressure and Absolute Temperature

2.1 Gas Pressure and Absolute Temperature: What Are They and What Are They Not?

Ideal Gas Law

A Perspective on Units

Pressure Measurement: Barometer and Manometer

Temperature Scales and Thermometers

Atmospheric Temperature Measurements

Interpretations, Operations, and Explanations

The Nature of Statistical Laws

A Brief History of the Gas Law

2.2 Pressure Decrease with Height: Continuum Interpretation

Pressure-Height Relationships: Thickness

2.3 Pressure Decrease with Height: Molecular Interpretation

2.4 The Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution of Molecular Speeds

Why Don't Air Molecules Escape to Space?

2.5 Intermolecular Separation, Mean Free Path, and Intermolecular Collision Rate

Mean Free Path

Intermolecular Collision Rate

Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium

2.6 Is the Pressure Gradient in a Gas a Fundamental Force of Nature?

2.7 Surface Pressure and the Weight of the Atmosphere

Flat Earthers Take Note!.

Why Aren't We Crushed by Airplanes Flying Overhead?

2.8 The Atmosphere Is a Mixture of Gases: Dalton's Law

Mean Molecular Weight

3 Specific Heats and Enthalpy: Adiabatic Processes

3.1 A Critique of the Mathematics of Thermodynamics

``Those Accursed Differentials''

Differentials and Infinitesimals

Are Differentials Necessary in Thermodynamics?

Pure and Impure Thermodynamics: The Indicator Diagram

Impossible Processes

3.2 Specific Heats and Enthalpy

Is the Heat Capacity of Liquid Water Extraordinarily High?

An Incompressibility Paradox: The Perils of Idealization

Enthalpy of the (Hydrostatic) Atmosphere

3.3 Adiabatic Processes: Poisson's Relations

3.4 (Dry) Adiabatic Processes in the Atmosphere

Do Pistons and Cylinders Inhabit the Atmosphere?

3.5 Stability and Buoyancy

Buoyancy

Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate and Stability

Parcel Oscillations

3.6 Specific Heats of Gases

The Ratio of Working to Heating at Constant Pressure

3.7 Heat Capacities of Mixtures of Gases

Water Vapor Demystified

Isobaric, Adiabatic Mixing of Moist Parcels

3.8 Atmospheric Applications of the First Law

3.9 Chemical Reactions and Temperature Changes

3.10 Residence Time of the Internal Translational Kinetic Energy of Earth's Atmosphere

4 Entropy

4.1 Entropy of an Ideal Gas

Entropy Change in a Free Expansion

Entropy Changes upon Heating and Cooling

The Second Law and Stability

Entropy of Mixtures: Entropy of Mixing and the ``Gibbs Paradox''

Entropy Changes upon Mixing Two Gases with Different Temperatures and Pressures

An Entropic Derivation of Joule's Law

Entropy and Disorder: A Persistent Swindle

Microscopic Interpretation of Entropy.

4.2 Entropy Changes of Liquids and Isotropic Solids

4.3 Atmospheric Applications of the Second Law

Maximum Entropy: Arbitrary Temperature Distribution in a Solid Slab

Entropy Maximization in the Atmosphere

Thermodynamic Efficiency: The Carnot Cycle

Refrigerators and Coefficient of Performance

Thermodynamic Efficiencies of Real Engines

Lapse Rate in Water

5 Water and Its Transformations

5.1 Evaporation and Condensation of Water Vapor

5.2 Measures of Water Vapor in Air

Dew, Frost, Defrosters, Dehumidifiers, and Swamp Coolers

5.3 The Clausius-Clapeyron Equation

Other Enthalpy Differences

Mantras and Misconceptions about Phase Transitions

Entropy and Enthalpy Differences in Phase Changes

Temperature Dependence of Enthalpy of Vaporization

Temperature Dependence of Saturation Vapor Pressure: A More Accurate Equation

Difference between the Saturation Vapor Pressure above Ice and above Subcooled Water at the Same Temperature

Dew Point Depression and Human Comfort in Hot, Humid Weather

Lapse Rate of the Boiling Point

Evaporative Cooling and Condensational Warming

5.4 van der Waals Equation of State

Must a Liquid Boil in Order to Evaporate?

Can a Solid Boil Before It Melts?

Departures from Ideality According to the van der Waals Equation

* The Maxwell Construction and Saturation Vapor Pressure

An Overview of the Many Successes of the van der Waals Equation

5.5 Phase Diagrams: Liquid-Vapor, Liquid-Vapor-Solid, Triple Point

5.6 Free Energy

5.7 Effect of Air Pressure on Saturation Vapor Pressure

5.8 Lowering of Vapor Pressure by Dissolution

5.9 Air in Water: Henry's Law

Change in Saturation Vapor Pressure with Total Pressure.

5.10 Size Dependence of Vapor Pressure: Water Droplets, Solution Droplets, and Bubbles

Droplet and Bubble Vapor Pressure: Physical Interpretation

Mechanical Equilibrium of Balloons, Corneas, Droplets, Bubbles: The Young-Laplace Equation and the Road to Surface Tension

Equilibrium Vapor Pressure of Droplets and Bubbles: A Physical Interpretation

The Kelvin Equation and the Difficult Birth of Cloud Droplets

Vapor Pressure of Solution Droplets

Boiling Demystified and More Heresy

6 Moist Air and Clouds

6.1 Precipitable Water in the Atmosphere

6.2 Lapse Rate of the Dew Point: Level of Cloud Formation

6.3 Density of Moist Air: Virtual Temperature

6.4 Wet-Bulb Temperature

Is the Temperature of a Wet Bulb the Wet-Bulb Temperature?

Humidity Measurements

6.5 Lapse Rate for Isentropic Ascent of a Saturated Parcel

Equivalent Potential Temperature and Wet-Bulb Potential Temperature

An Overview of Temperatures, Real and Fictitious

6.6 Thermodynamic Diagrams

A Smattering of History

Skew-T-log p Diagram

Tephigram

Other Diagrams

6.7 Stability and Cloud Formation

Entrainment

6.8 Mixing Clouds

6.9 Cloud Formation on Ascent and Descent

7 Energy, Momentum, and Mass Transfer

7.1 Energy Transfer by Thermal Conduction

Fourier Thermal Conduction Law

Thermal Resistance

Convective Transfer of Energy

Conductivity of Gases: A Few Fallacies Dispelled

The Effective Conductivity of Porous Materials

The Skin Diver's Fallacy

Newton's Law of Cooling: A Study in Historical Error Propagation

Freezing of Lakes

Radiative Energy Transfer

Radiation and Convection Combined: Dew and Frost Formation

To Insulate or Not to Insulate?.

Radiation in Porous Media

Newton's Law of Cooling According to Newton

*Thermometers and Soils as Low-pass Filters

Chilliness at High Altitudes: Forced Convection

Cooling in Air and Water: Free Convection

7.2 Momentum Transfer: Viscosity

7.3 Mass Transfer: Diffusion

Diffusion Coefficient

The Nonexistence of Still Air

Growth of Cloud Droplets

Selected Physical Constants

Saturation Vapor Pressure over Water

Reference

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

This edition also issued in print: 2023.

Previous edition: 1998.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on September 11, 2023).

ISBN:

0-19-198370-5

0-19-887272-0

OCLC:

1376931107