RE: 4th law of thermodynamics

["Hodgkins, 1LT Andrew T. " <hodgkins@eglin.af.mil>]

I don't recall a 4th law of thermodynamics, but there is a "zeroth law"
which I suppose could be referred to as the 4th.  It states that "two
bodies which are in thermal equilibrium with a third body are in thermal
equilibrium with each other."  This forms the basis for measuring
temperature, and that concept is needed for the first and second laws.
Hence the term "zeroth."  8)

Ref:  Fundamentals of Engineering/Thermodynamics, Howell & Buckius,
McGraw-Hill, (c) 1987.
							--Andy
 ----------
From: Nancy Smith
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: RE: 4th law of thermodynamics
Date: Friday, November 15, 1996 3:36PM


On Fri, 15 Nov 1996 07:59:51 +0100  C wrote:
>I missed a whole day's email.  Did anybody define the "4th law of
>thermodynamics?"
>
>                            Trista

I think the collective readership must be sitting around thinking 'what
4th law of thermodynamics?'. I'll stick my neck out and say there isn't
one, as such, at least not in the classic sense of the first 3 laws.I'm
guessing that H.T. Otum, referenced in the original question, had
invented a '4th law' for the sake of illustrating some point in his
book,
and that his meaning is lost without reading the book. (Just in case the
original post was missed by some reader, here it is again):

>in reading a paper titled "Technocratic Optimism, H.T. Odum and the
>Partial Transformation of Ecological Metaphor after World War II"
>H.T Odum subscribed "fourth law of thermodynamics" in his book
>"Ecological Potential" page 1.
>
>but i can't get that book and don'k know what the fourth law of
>thermodynamics either.


However, I will hasten to add that I took thermodynamics TWICE (meaning
that I, ahhh, repeated it, not that I took successive levels of
difficulty), so maybe I missed something.  If someone with a better
background knows more than I do about this, I'd be pleased to hear the
correct answer!

Nancy Smith
nsmith@mr.net