1 Thermodynamics systems are characterized by certain quantities known as the

2 properties of the system. Examples are the temperature and volume of the system,
3 its energy, its heat capacity, its density and the hydrostatic pressure of the elastic
4 stress at points within it. Other properties of interest are the flux density in a
5 magnetized bar, and the surface area of a liquid.
6 Thermodynamics deals also with quantities which are not properties of any
7 system. For example, when there is a flow of heat between a system and its
8 surroundings, the energy transferred is not a property of either the system or the
9 surroundings.
10 Let a given system divided, in imagination, into a number of parts. Those
11 properties of the system whose value, for the entire system, equals the sum of their
12 values for the part of the system, are called extensive . The temperature of the system,
13 on the other hand, is not equal to the sum of the temperatures of its parts.
14 The same is true of the pressure and the density.
15 Properties like temperature, pressure and density are called intensive. The ratio of
16 an extensive property of the system to the mass of the system is called the average
17 specific value of that property. Thus the average specific volume of a system is the
18 ratio of the total volume of the system to its total mass and is the average volume
19 per unit mass.
20 The state of a system is specified by the values of its extensive properties. The
21 state of a substance, in contrast to the state of a system, is considered to be
22 specified by its intensive properties.
23 When an arbitrary system is isolated, its properties will, in general, change with
24 time. If there are variations in pressure or elastic stress within the system, for
25 example, parts of the system may move or may expand, or contract. Eventually,
26 these motions, expansions or contractions will cease and when his happens we say
27 that the system is in mechanical equilibrium. This does not necessarily mean that
28 the pressure is the same al all points.
29 In thermodynamics, however, it is necessary to consider more than the purely
30 mechanical equilibrium of the system. If there are variations in temperature from
31 point to point of an isolated system , we observe that the temperature at every point
32 changes at first with time but that the rate of change becomes smaller and smaller .
33 When no further changes in temperatures are observed we say the system is in
34 thermal equilibrium.
35 Finally, consider a system contains substances that can react chemically. After a
36 sufficiently long time all possible chemical reactions will take place and the system
37 is considered in chemical equilibrium .
38 A system which is in mechanical equilibrium, thermal equilibrium and mechanical
39 equilibrium is said to be in thermodynamics equilibrium.