Kent Mayhew

As a science structured around entropy, classical thermodynamics is filled with inconsistencies. Beyond its mathematical implications, entropy possesses no clear universal lucidity. Entropy's various interpretations tend to be application-dependent. Thermal entropy was devised in the 19th century by Clausius to enhance one's understanding of the re...

The accepted kinetic theory forms a basis for modern thermodynamics and is mathematically based upon equipartition and degrees of freedom. It remains plagued with the necessity of numerous degrees of freedom exceptions for it to explain both empirically determined heat capacities and adiabatic indexes. Furthermore, assuming kT/2 per degree of freed...

It is a new introductory analysis concerning what constitutes thermal energy. As a prelimiary paper concerning a new way of thinking, it is hoped that others will join in and expand the logic present. It also provides new insights concerning heat capacities in different temperature regimes.

This book provides a simple classical thermodynamics. One based upon sequential logic. A logic that has no reliance upon either entropy or the second law. An epistemology that has none of the inconsistencies that have plaques classical thermodynamics. The book does discuss in detail, why traditionally accepted thermodynamics is such an overcomplic...

Pictet's experiment was front and center in the 18th/19th century debate concerning whether heat is a wave, or a particle. Pictet's experiment is best understood by realizing that thermal radiation energy plays a significant role in heat transfer. It is argued that this readily ignored experiment should have long ago alerted us to issues concerning...

Thermodynamics embraces both the concepts of entropy and enthalpy. Strangely, both concepts express work done by an expanding system in terms of W=PdV, without providing the necessary clarity concerning what PdV actually represents. In this report, we shall discuss that such work is external to the expanding system. This means that one should quest...

Radiative heat transfer is currently thought of only in terms of photons as EM waves interacting with a molecule’s lopsided charge distributions. This and infrared spectrometry have rendered the claim that both oxygen and nitrogen are transparent to infrared radiation. This has emboldened the greenhouse effect. Photons acting as particles hence tra...

The wave-particle duality of light is accepted. Strangely, when considering the interaction of radiation and matter, the importance of this duality has been overlooked. In part this is due to misunderstandings and their applications in infrared spectrometry. Specifically, in thermodynamics the understanding that photons are particles with momentum...

This paper examines scientific “certainties” established during the 19th and 20th centuries regarding entropy and the second law. Indoctrinated thermodynamics is structured around elastic collisions. The realization that molecular collisions tend to be inelastic brings into question the validity of accepted thermodynamics. Boltzmann’s inspired and...

The sciences have evolved around elastic collisions although most collisions are inelastic. Elastic collisions allow for simpler mathematical modelling, that may not be particularly suitable for cosmology. Inelastic collisions create photons. This has led to consideration of an ensemble of inelastic collisions producing CMB. This will further lead...

Most collisions that we witness are inelastic. Irrationally, the sciences have evolved around elastic collisions, which allows for simpler mathematical modelling. Since a result of inelastic collisions are photons, we examine the feasibility of an ensemble of inelastic collisions producing a blackbody spectrum. This will lead to reconsideration of...

my book is an overhaul of thermodynamics, showing once and for all that thermodynamics does not require entropy, nor it accomplice the second law. The science actually simplifies when one removes those two wrongly accepted principles, both of which are mathematical based rather than common sense based: My books link: https://www.amazon.ca/New-Therm...

Statistical analysis shows that climate change is due to human activities. The accepted reason being the greenhouse effect, which is based on the erroneous assumption that homonuclear gases are opaque to thermal energy. The reality is that all polyatomic gases absorb and then radially radiate thermal energy, as proven by their heat capacities. The...

Statistical analysis shows that climate change is due to human activities. The accepted reason being the greenhouse effect, which is based on the erroneous assumption that homonuclear gases are opaque to thermal energy. The reality is that all polyatomic gases absorb and then radially radiate thermal energy, as proven by their heat capacities. The...

Accepted assertions concerning entropy and reversibility in both isentropic and adiabatic processes will be investigated and challenged. The ultimate conclusion being that accepted thermodynamics is an over-complication. Furthermore, the need for natural logarithmic functions will be explained. This functionality no longer depends upon entropy, wh...

Accepted assertions concerning entropy and reversibility in both isentropic and adiabatic processes will be investigated and challenged. The ultimate conclusion being that accepted thermodynamics is an over-complication. Furthermore, the need for natural logarithmic functions will be explained. This functionality no longer depends upon entropy, wha...

We shall enhance our understanding of temperature, as was first discussed in a previous paper [1]. Temperature is traditionally treated as if it has a linear relation to a system’s thermal energy, throughout most temperature regimes. The limitation of temperature’s relations will be discussed. Also, an improved understanding as to why various syste...

We shall enhance our understanding of temperature, as was introduced in a previous paper [1]. Temperature is traditionally treated as if it has a linear relation of a system’s thermal energy, throughout most temperature regimes. The limitation of temperature’s relations will be discussed. Also, an improved understanding as to why various system’s m...

-The various relationships between the temperature's witnessed here on Earth, the Sun's isolation, thermal energy and blackbody radiation are all poorly understood. Herein, the interrelations are examined, and a new theory concerning their relationships is presented. This also puts limitations upon temperature being related to a system's thermal en...

The various relationships between the temperature’s witnessed here on Earth, the Sun’s isolation, thermal energy and blackbody radiation are all poorly understood. Herein, the interrelations are examined, and a new theory concerning their relationships is presented. This also puts limitations upon temperature being related to a system’s thermal ene...

Inefficiencies of expanding systems are traditionally taught in terms of entropy, and the second law. Herein, it will be shown that such traditional explanations are an over-complication of reality. This will be accomplished by providing a simpler understanding as to why such inefficiencies exist in a piston-cylinder apparatus. This introduces many...

Inefficiencies of expanding systems are traditionally taught in terms of entropy, and the second law. Herein, it will be shown that such traditional explanations are an over-complication of reality. This will be accomplished by providing a simpler understanding as to why such inefficiencies exist in a piston-cylinder apparatus. This introduces many...

Employing elastic collisions rather than the reality of inelastic collisions simplifies much of the theoretical sciences. The consequences of such simplification is completely ignored/unrealized by the majority, hence must be addressed. At the crux of the problem is arguably the illusion of elastic collisions in kinetic theory, but this extends to...

Employing elastic collisions rather than the reality of inelastic collisions simplifies much of the theoretical sciences. The consequences of such simplification is completely ignored/unrealized by the majority, hence must be addressed. At the crux of the problem is arguably the illusion of elastic collisions in kinetic theory, but this extends to...

Most accept that thermodynamics is a mature science. It will be discussed that reversibility can be an illusion. Furthermore, new explanations that do not require the parameter entropy will be given for free energies. Moreover, it will be shown that entropy’s removal clearly lends itself to the science’s simplification, at least in so far as free e...

A previously published new kinetic theory not only improves the fit with accepted empirical findings, it also means that intermolecular collisions are inelastic. Combined with a previously published new understanding of lost work and the realization that the whole atmosphere acts as a thermal blanket completely changes our understanding, as to how...

A previously published new kinetic theory not only improves the fit with accepted empirical findings, it also means that intermolecular collisions are inelastic. Combined with a previously published new understanding of lost work and the realization that the whole atmosphere acts as a thermal blanket completely changes our understanding, as to how...

Thermodynamics is written in both classical and statistical formats. It will be shown that misunderstanding has allowed the science to become overly complicated. The concept of lost work in both expanding and compressed systems will be examined classically, showing why processes are irreversible here on Earth due to expanding system's interactions...

By redefining a gas' kinetic energy as translational plus rotational, an alternative kinetic theory was disclosed by this author that was a superior fit with empirical findings than the accepted kinetic theory. This alternative kinetic theory's fit for monatomic, diatomic and triatomic gases is exceptional, however the same cannot be said of large...

By redefining a gas' kinetic energy as translational plus rotational, an alternative kinetic theory was disclosed by this author that was a superior fit with empirical findings than the accepted kinetic theory. This alternative kinetic theory's fit for monatomic, diatomic and triatomic gases is exceptional, however the same cannot be said of large...

The currently accepted kinetic theory considers that a gas' kinetic energy is purely trans-lational and then applies equipartition/degrees of freedom. In order for accepted theory to match known empirical finding, numerous exceptions have been proposed. By redefining the gas' kinetic energy as translational plus rotational, an alternative explanati...

The currently accepted kinetic theory considers that a gas' kinetic energy is purely trans-lational and then applies equipartition/degrees of freedom. In order for accepted theory to match known empirical finding, numerous exceptions have been proposed. By redefining the gas' kinetic energy as translational plus rotational, an alternative explanati...

Entropy remains a part of so many thermodynamics relations, yet its true identity lacks clarity. We shall show that entropy may be nothing more than a mathematical contrivance, one that is illogically used to explain too many phenomena. In so doing, we shall question many traditional thermodynamic conceptualizations, as well as provide a unique und...

The concept of energy lost by expanding systems is reconsidered. The implications to thermodynamic are profound especially to concepts such as reversibility and the second law thermodynamics.

We shall reconsider the pressure within a bubble, when we take into account all the cohesive forces within a liquid, which surrounds a bubble. These principles will be applied to maximum bubble pressure method, providing a new plausible explanation as to why measured bubble’s pressures do not correlate with traditional Young‐Laplace based theory. F...

We are going to introduce the concept of “kinematic numbers” and their application to the probability function. We shall then see how this may help explain both the latent heat of vaporization and the critical temperature. Moreover, our intuitive approach allows us to understand both phenomena based upon kinetic theory, and the Boltzmann factor. We...

We will discuss the fact that our traditional thermodynamic perspective may be skewed and present some alternatives. (C) 2011 Physics Essays Publication. [DOI: 10.4006/1.3597597]

Traditionally in thermodynamics mechanical work is defined in terms of PdV. Although it is empirically correct to consider all mechanical work in terms of PdV, we shall show that it is theoretically incorrect to do so. More specifically, from a theoretical perspective, mechanical work should often be expressed in terms of VdP and not PdV.

Most nucleation processes involve both a phase change and a pressure change across a curved tensile layer. Therefore both volume and pressure are relevant parameters when determining the work involved in nucleation processes. A general equation, where the work is related to both volume and pressure change, has been derived, in part based on a plaus...