Thermodynamics is an important branch of science which deals with the relationship between heat, fluid and other forms of heat. In particular, it discusses how heat is converted from one form of heat to another and how it changes matter. Thermodynamic phenomena include the transfer of heat from hot fluids or objects to cold ones, as well as how heat is lost from one form of heat to another, for example by conduction, convection and radiation. It can also be used to describe processes like combustion, freezing and evaporation.
In modern day society, most of us are more familiar with concepts like thermodynamics than with other approaches. We are less likely to use a thermodynamic approach in our everyday lives, although this is beginning to change. The main reason is that many forms of thermodynamics are not applicable to modern day problems. For example, if a fluid was to freeze in a closed container, we would not need to understand thermodynamics to predict the results – we would just know that it did.
Nevertheless, many people still have an interest in thermodynamics, especially since most of the advanced scientific models we have today rely heavily on thermodynamics. For example, most modern day computer software models heat engines and thermodynamics as they try to identify which of several possible solutions to a problem are most suitable. Although these models can be improved by other techniques, such as statistical analysis, they still rely on the principles of thermodynamics and its effects on matter. For many people, these thermodynamics techniques are a useful tool in helping them understand the environment in which they live, work and play.