In the history of thermodynamics, On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances is a 300-page paper written by American mathematical-engineer Willard Gibbs. It is one of the founding papers in thermodynamics, along with German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz's 1882 paper "Thermodynamik chemischer Vorgänge." Together they form the foundation of chemical thermodynamics as well as a large part of physical chemistry.
Gibbs's Equilibrium marked the beginning of chemical thermodynamics by integrating chemical, physical, electrical, and electromagnetic phenomena into a coherent system. It introduced concepts such as chemical potential, phase rule, and others, which form the basis for modern physical chemistry. American writer Bill Bryson describes Gibbs's Equilibrium paper as "the Principia of thermodynamics".
On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances, was originally published in a relatively obscure American journal, the Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, in several parts, during the years 1875 to 1878 (although most cite "1876" as the key year). It remained largely unknown until translated into German by Wilhelm Ostwald and into French by Henry Louis Le Chatelier.
Read more about On The Equilibrium Of Heterogeneous Substances: Overview, Opening Section
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