This might also be done for other formulations of chemical thermodynamics and the results compared. It would, no doubt, be useful to identify a11 laws, postulates, principles, axioms, definitions, and other fundamental assumptions, stated or implied, in the three papers, in much the same way as has been done recently for Euclid's geometry ( I S ), and still more recently for the whole of mathematics as now taught in schools and colleges (14). A closer look at them might help eliminate some of the present confusion without further complicating the subject by introducing yet more assumptions or laws, which may not rest on so firm an experimental basis. His assumptions must be good ones, because the many theorems derived rigorously from them have stood the test of time and experiment. He had an uncommon knowledge of mechanics, both classical (11) and statistical, as well as of thermo~ĭynamics, and clear ideas as to their relations to each other (12). It may, therefore, be worthwhile for teachersespecially those who plan to write textbooks-to go hack to the beginning and review the fundamental assumptions of chemical thermodynamics as they were presented in three papers by the founder of that science (10).
There are four kinds of approaches to the subject (7) and the situation is such that teachers of parts of thermodynamics in different courses for students of chemistry and chemical engineering, instead of using the student's previously acquired knowledge (S), begin each year by saying, ''Well now look boys, just forget about what you learned last year, this is the way we're going to treat these problems" (9). Not nnlv are there many differeht verbal statements of the firit and second laws ( I ), but a number of sets of fundamental assumptions have been proposed to take their place (2-6). "Ah, take one consideration with another" -the student's lot-like that of Gilbert and Sullivan's policeman-"is not a happy one!" At least, so it seems a5 far as thermodvnamics is concerned. The Fundamental Assumptions of Chemical Thermodynamics
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