Friction force: from mechanics to thermodynamics

TL;DR

This paper explores how friction forces in mechanical systems can be understood through the lens of thermodynamics, extending classical mechanics to include energy conservation and heat transfer principles.

Contribution

It introduces a framework connecting Newtonian mechanics with thermodynamics via energy conservation and thermodynamic laws, applied to systems with friction.

Findings

Derivation of thermodynamic laws from mechanical principles

Application to heat transfer in frictional systems

Extension of mechanics to thermodynamics

Abstract

We study some mechanical problems in which a friction force is acting on the system. Using the fundamental concepts of state, time evolution and energy conservation we explain how to extend Newtonian mechanics to thermodynamics. We arrive at the two laws of thermodynamics and then apply them to investigate time evolution and heat transfer of some significant examples.