A Mereological Interpretation of the Phase Rule

Gibbs's phase rule treats mixtures by relating the number of independent variables governing their state to the numbers of phases and independent substances. For the case of a single substance, it provides a criterion of purity. But where more substances are involved, the notion of independent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhilosophy of science Vol. 77; no. 5; pp. 900 - 910
Main Author Needham, Paul
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge University of Chicago Press 01.12.2010
Cambridge University Press
Subjects
Accuracy
Algebra
Calcium carbonates
Calcium oxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbonates
Chemistry
Filosofiämnen
Historisk-filosofiska ämnen
History and philosophy subjects
HUMANIORA och RELIGIONSVETENSKAP
HUMANITIES and RELIGION
Liquids
Material properties
Mathematics
Mereology
Molecules
Philosophy of science
Philosophy subjects
Physics
Teoretisk filosofi
Theoretical philosophy
Vapor phases
Variables
Volume
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Summary:Gibbs's phase rule treats mixtures by relating the number of independent variables governing their state to the numbers of phases and independent substances. For the case of a single substance, it provides a criterion of purity. But where more substances are involved, the notion of independent substance is less readily understood. Textbook writers sometimes use algebraic terminology in ways that are suggestive but cannot be taken as literally accurate. I suggest that a mereological interpretation applies to these cases, as it captures more concisely the insights underlying the use of algebraic terminology and illuminates the general notion of substance.
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ISSN:0031-8248
1539-767X
1539-767X
DOI:10.1086/656546