Free online courseIntroduction to Thermodynamics

Course Description

Thermodynamics can feel abstract at first, but it becomes far more intuitive when you learn how to translate real situations into the right concepts, variables, and equations. This free online course is designed to help you build that skill step by step, turning a topic that often seems intimidating into a practical tool you can apply in physics, engineering, and everyday problem-solving.

You will start by learning how to study effectively in an online format, so you can keep momentum and retain what you learn. From there, the course introduces the language of thermodynamics: how to describe a system, what it means for a system to be closed, and why those definitions matter when you track mass, energy, and interactions with the surroundings. You will also get comfortable with units and the difference between extensive and intensive properties, a foundational distinction that prevents many common mistakes.

As you progress, key ideas such as internal energy, enthalpy, and entropy are clarified in a way that emphasizes meaning and use, not memorization. You will connect temperature scales and conversions, and you will see how the state of a substance can be described with the state postulate and the idea of equilibrium. Instead of leaving the material in theory, the course regularly reinforces understanding through questions and problem-solving practice, helping you recognize what information is given, what assumptions are reasonable, and which approach fits best.

Worked examples with manometers and flow measurement build confidence with pressure relationships and real-world instrumentation, while phase change diagrams help you visualize how substances behave across different conditions. Later, you will explore why common shortcuts are not always valid, such as when the ideal gas equation fails to accurately represent steam. By the end, you will have a clearer, more practical grasp of the concepts that power thermodynamics and a stronger ability to reason through unfamiliar physics problems with precision.