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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1997  > March  >
Chemical Education Today
Letters
Thermodynamics and Controversy
John W. Moore
Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706
Cover
March 1997
Vol. 74 No. 3
p. 256
Full Text
I suspect that there may be a fourth law of thermodynamics: discourse on any thermodynamic topic increases spontaneously (and perhaps exponentially). This reflects the importance of thermodynamics, and its success. Albert Einstein called thermodynamics, "the only physical theory of universal content concerning which I am convinced that, within the framework of the applicability of its basic concepts, it will never be overthrown." Even a hint of an exception to thermodynamic principles generates the closest possible scrutiny and considerable discussion. The letter that begins below and those that follow beginning on page 281 fill 13 pages in all. They consist of criticisms and a reply related to a three-page paper by José Belandria that appeared in February, 1995. The author's reply to his critics is longer than the original paper, as is one of the criticisms. The critics have had their say, the author has responded, and, on behalf of all the critics, Robert Freeman has prepared a reply to that response. At this point we can consider this issue closed, and the Journal will publish no further comments on Belandria's paper, nor on the criticisms of it that appear here. We thank all of the contributors to this discussion for the time and effort they have devoted to clarifying the situation.
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*  Citation
 Moore, John W. J. Chem. Educ. 1997 74 256.
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Last Updated:		 July 29, 1999
June 23, 2005
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