Volume one of this two-volume set presents a simplified technique for the practical application of thermodynamics by students, engineers, materials scientists, geologists, chemists and others concerned with metals/materials-related problems. This technique incorporates Kirchoff's law as a four-step procedure structured around a thermodynamic loop or TL similar to that used to describe engine performance in mechanical systems. The four steps include: graphical characterizations; application of principles; data acquisition; and computation.