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“In the memoir of Clausius, the science of thermodynamics came into existence… It might be said at any time since the publication of the memoir that the foundations of the science were secure, its definitions clear, and its boundaries distinct.” – J.W. Gibbs
“The energy of the world is
constant; its entropy tends to a maximum.” –Clausius “In 1850, Clausius presented a paper stating the second law of thermodynamics in the well-known form: ‘Heat cannot of itself pass from a colder to a hotter body.’ The second law of thermodynamics states that, in a closed system, the entropy does not decrease. That is, if the system is initially in a low-entropy (ordered) state, its condition will tend to slide spontaneously toward a state of maximum entropy (disorder)... The approach to equilibrium is therefore an irreversible process. The tendency toward equilibrium is so fundamental to physics that the second law is probably the most universal regulator of natural activity known to science” (Britannica). "The significant beginning of Clausius’ career, of course, dates from 1850, when Clausius established the foundations for modern thermodynamics in his first great paper on the theory of heat" (Dictionary of Scientific Biography). In: Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Hrsg. J. C. Poggendorff. Bd. 79. Leipzig: Barth, 1850. Octavo, early marbled boards with paper spine label. Text in German. Fine condition. $4600. |
