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Short, practical guides on the thermodynamics behind the calculators. Every formula here is worked through with numbers you can check by hand against your course tables.
The Closed-System Energy Balance, Step by Step
Q − W = m·Δu for piston-cylinder problems. Sign conventions, the four standard processes, and a worked constant-volume heating example.
How to Read Steam Tables (Saturated vs Superheated)
A step-by-step guide to the saturation and superheated water tables: how to locate a state, read h, u, s, v, and know when to switch between tables.
Ideal Gases with Variable Specific Heats
Why cp·ΔT breaks down at high temperature, how the air/CO₂/O₂ tables fix it, and how to read u and h from the table.
Quality Explained: What x Really Means
Quality is the mass fraction of vapour in a saturated mixture. Here's how to use it to get h, u, s, v inside the dome, with worked examples.
SI vs Imperial: The Unit Traps That Sink Thermodynamics Problems
The conversion factors that trip students up — kJ vs Btu, kPa vs psi, the kinetic-energy factor, and how to keep units straight.
Steady-Flow Energy Balance: Nozzles, Turbines, Throttles
The SFEE for control volumes, how the kinetic-energy term enters, and a worked nozzle exit-velocity example.