Paper vs. Computer: Are Printed Thermodynamic Property Tables Still Important

Abstract

With the advent of computerized thermodynamics tables, students no longer necessarily need to learn the use of printed tables and the difficulties of interpolation. However, the question arises, at least in the author’s view, of whether full dependence on computerized tables removes the student further from a basic understanding of what the properties represent and what is a “reasonable” value for a particular property. As has been seen in other courses, the use of computerized thermodynamic property tables seems to lead to a “disconnect” between what the table values represent and the actual numbers obtained. In this extended abstract, observations from 20+ years of teaching thermodynamics using both paper and computerized property tables will be discussed and a possible framework for further investigation of the state question will be set forth. For of this study, the term thermodynamic tables is meant to refer to a computer program available to students in which thermodynamics properties at any virtually any combination of temperature and pressure (or other property combinations) can easily be found simply by typing in the known values. In reality, computerized thermodynamics tables have been in use since the 1960’s as the printed tables used in thermodynamics textbooks from that time forward have been based on a computer solution to a many variable fundamental thermodynamic function. when the author was an undergraduate student taking Thermodynamics I and II, along with the textbook, to obtain a copy of “Steam Tables” by Keenan, Keyes, Hill, and Moore 1 .