<p>How hard is this class for those who took it? I'm very confident with my physics&math, will that make the class easier for me?</p>
<p>Also in terms of time spent, would you say you guys spent more on physics II than thermodynamics or the same/less? Reason I ask is I want to calculate how much time I should put aside for everything.</p>
<p>For me it depended on the professor. My 1st semester of Thermodynamics was very difficult … very theoretical and almost no practical application. The professor approached the class as if all of the students were planning to get phd’s in heat transfer. I had a different professor for 2nd semester, and it was a far more practical (and easier) class.</p>
<p>huh? thermo for me is only a 1 semester class (4 credits). how’s it 2 semesters for you?</p>
<p>Famous thermodynamics quotes:</p>
<p>*Thermodynamics is a funny subject. The first time you go through it, you don’t understand it at all. The second time you go through it, you think you understand it, except for one or two small points. The third time you go through it, you know you don’t understand it, but by that time you are so used to it, it doesn’t bother you any more * - [Arnold</a> Sommerfeld](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Sommerfeld]Arnold”>Arnold Sommerfeld - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>*Every mathematician knows it is impossible to understand an elementary course in thermodynamics * - [Vladimir</a> Arnold](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Arnold]Vladimir”>Vladimir Arnold - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Haha, that first quote is totally spot-on for how I feel about thermo. Took a year of it in materials science and a semester in the physics department, then had to take another year of it in grad school. I’ve found it’s one of those fields where you wind up having an “Ah-ha!” moment well after the course is over and a few of the things that never made sense are finally connected.</p>
<p>Also, different fields of engineering do different kinds of thermodynamics. For example, I don’t think mechanical engineers will bother with doing different types of solution models to predict multicomponent phase diagrams.</p>
<p>For me, thermo was probably hardest class I’ve taken so far. It was one of those major “weed out” classes at my college that was offered in my sophomore year. It required lot of time outside of class to understand the material so I can do the homework. Compare to physics 2, yes it does require lot of time.</p>
<p>Nice quotes!I’m a ChE major and I have to say you can pass it at whatever grade but to understand it is something else.Btw we have Thermo 1&2 and Physical chemistry(Smith) which is related.Tough stuff!</p>