Study Programmes 2016-2017
PHYS3024-1  
General physics : Thermodynamics
Duration :
20h Th, 24h Pr, 8h REM
Number of credits :
Bachelor in bioengineering4
Lecturer :
Geoffroy Lumay
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents :
Basic Definitions : State variables, temperature, Principle zero, transformations, properties of substances.
Heat and heat transfer, First law of thermodynamics, application to open and closed systems, heat budgets.
Second law of thermodynamics: statements, application to cyclic transformations, efficiency, Carnot engine, Entropy, entropy budget.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit :
  • Initiation to scientific reasoning.
  • Initiation problem resolution (translation in a formal language, resolution of the formal problem, solution analysis and interpretation).
  • Orders of magnitude and approximations.
  • Fundamental physics laws.
  • Heat budget.
After completing the course the student is expected to apply the first and second laws of thermodynamics to open and cyclic transformations for open and closed systems.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Secondary school : French and Mathematics courses.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Lectures : 22h Practical Works : 24h
Recommended or required readings :
Lecture slides (on eCampus).
Physics for scientists and engineers, J. W. Jewet and R. A. Serway
Assessment methods and criteria :
Written examination
See the document "REGIME DES TESTS ET EXAMENS" for a detailed description of the exams organization.
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
Contacts :
Geoffroy Lumay
Bât. B5a, Physics institute, 
Quartier Agora, Sart Tilman Campus
Allée du six août, 19
4000 Liege
+32 4 366 44 21 geoffroy.lumay@ulg.ac.be