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# Thermodynamics Cheatsheet

## Basic Concepts

- **Thermodynamic System**: The region of the universe under study.
- **Surroundings**: The rest of the universe.
- **State Functions**: Properties that depend only on the current state of the system, not how it got there. Examples include internal energy (U), enthalpy (H), and entropy (S).
- **Path Functions**: Properties that depend on the path taken to reach a certain state. Examples include work (W) and heat (Q).

## Laws of Thermodynamics

1. **First Law**: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or converted from one form to another. Mathematically, this is expressed as `ΔU = Q - W`, where `ΔU` is the change in internal energy of the system, `Q` is the heat transferred to the system, and `W` is the work done by the system.
2. **Second Law**: The entropy of the universe tends to increase in any spontaneous process. Mathematically, this is expressed as `ΔS_universe = ΔS_system + ΔS_surroundings > 0`, where `ΔS_universe` is the change in entropy of the universe, `ΔS_system` is the change in entropy of the system, and `ΔS_surroundings` is the change in entropy of the surroundings.
3. **Third Law**: It is impossible to reach absolute zero (0 K) in a finite number of steps.

## Thermodynamic Processes

- **Isothermal**: A process that occurs at constant temperature.
- **Adiabatic**: A process that occurs without any heat exchange with the surroundings.
- **Isobaric**: A process that occurs at constant pressure.
- **Isochoric**: A process that occurs at constant volume.

## Enthalpy

- **Enthalpy**: A state function that represents the heat content of a system. Mathematically, this is expressed as `H = U + PV`, where `H` is enthalpy, `U` is internal energy, `P` is pressure, and `V` is volume.
- **Enthalpy Change**: The change in enthalpy of a system during a process. Mathematically, this is expressed as `ΔH = ΔU + PΔV`.

## Entropy

- **Entropy**: A state function that represents the degree of disorder of a system. Mathematically, this is expressed as `ΔS = Q/T`, where `ΔS` is the change in entropy, `Q` is the heat transferred, and `T` is the temperature.
- **Gibbs Free Energy**: A state function that combines enthalpy and entropy to predict the spontaneity of a process. Mathematically, this is expressed as `ΔG = ΔH - TΔS`.

## Resources

- [MIT OpenCourseWare: Thermodynamics & Kinetics](https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/chemistry/5-60-thermodynamics-kinetics-spring-2008/)
- [Khan Academy: Thermodynamics](https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/thermodynamics)
- [Chemguide: Thermodynamics](https://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/basicrates/thermodynamics.html)