ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an understanding of the structure of materials at the atomic level through bonding forces, molecules and molecular arrangement. It deals with the concepts of energy as applied to changes of state, from gases to liquid, briefly, and from liquid to solid, more extensively, including consideration of equilibrium and equilibrium diagrams. Each electron has a unique set of quantum numbers and with increasing atomic number, and hence increasing number of electrons, the shells and subshells fill up progressively, starting with the lowest energy state. The electrons that have absorbed the energy are excited to high energy levels and subsequently fall back to their original values with the emission of the light energy. The harnessing and control of energy are at the heart of all engineering. The chapter discusses some of the thermodynamic principles that are of importance to understanding the behaviour patterns.
