The first law of thermodynamics, also known as the law of conservation of energy, states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. In other words, the total energy of an isolated system remains constant. This law distinguishes between two main forms of energy transfer: heat and thermodynamic work, which can alter a system containing a fixed amount of matter.
The first law is expressed mathematically as ΔU = Q − W, where ΔU is the change in internal energy U of the system, Q is the net heat transferred into the system, and W is the net work done by the system.
The first law of thermodynamics is fundamental to our understanding of energy and has broad applications in physics and other natural sciences. It also serves as the foundation for the second and third laws of thermodynamics, which provide further insights into the behaviour of energy in various systems.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
First Law of Thermodynamics | Energy cannot be created or destroyed |
First Law of Thermodynamics | The conservation of energy |
First Law of Thermodynamics | Energy can be transferred between the system and the surroundings through the transfer of heat or by the performance of mechanical work |
First Law of Thermodynamics | Any gain in energy by the system will correspond to a loss in energy by the surroundings |
First Law of Thermodynamics | Any loss in energy by the system will correspond to a gain in energy by the surroundings |
First Law of Thermodynamics | The change in internal energy of a system equals the net heat transfer into the system minus the net work done by the system |
First Law of Thermodynamics | ΔU = Q − W |
What You'll Learn
- The first law of thermodynamics is a version of the law of conservation of energy
- The law distinguishes two principal forms of energy transfer: heat and thermodynamic work
- The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed
- The internal energy of a system depends only on the state of the system
- The first law applies to systems where heat transfer and work are the methods of energy transfer
The first law of thermodynamics is a version of the law of conservation of energy
The first law of thermodynamics distinguishes two principal forms of energy transfer: heat and thermodynamic work. These two forms of energy transfer modify a thermodynamic system containing a constant amount of matter. The law also defines the internal energy of a system, an extensive property that accounts for the balance of heat and work in the system.
The first law of thermodynamics is commonly referred to as the conservation of energy. It is considered the least demanding to grasp out of the three laws of thermodynamics. This is because it is an extension of the law of conservation of energy, which states that energy can be neither created nor destroyed.
The first law of thermodynamics is a statement that energy can be transferred between a system and its surroundings through the transfer of heat or by the performance of mechanical work. Energy does not simply materialize or disappear. Any gain in energy by the system will correspond to a loss in energy by the surroundings, and vice versa.
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The law distinguishes two principal forms of energy transfer: heat and thermodynamic work
The first law of thermodynamics distinguishes two principal forms of energy transfer: heat and thermodynamic work. This law is a formulation of the law of conservation of energy in the context of thermodynamic processes. It is a statement that energy can be transferred between a system and its surroundings through the transfer of heat or by the performance of mechanical work. The law also defines the internal energy of a system, an extensive property that accounts for the balance of heat and work in the system.
The first law of thermodynamics is often expressed by the algebraic sum of contributions to the internal energy, from all work done on or by the system, and the quantity of heat supplied or withdrawn from the system. The change in internal energy of the system is given by the equation:
> ΔU = Q - W
Where ΔU is the change in internal energy, Q is the quantity of heat supplied to the system, and W is the thermodynamic work done by the system.
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. This is also known as the law of conservation of energy. In an isolated system, the sum of all forms of energy remains constant.
The first law of thermodynamics is of great importance and has been precisely supported by many properly conducted experiments. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding energy transfer and the behaviour of thermodynamic systems.
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The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed
The first law of thermodynamics states that
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The internal energy of a system depends only on the state of the system
The internal energy of a system is a function of its state, and it is a crucial concept in thermodynamics. It is defined as the energy of the system, accounting for the gains and losses due to changes in its internal state. This includes thermal energy, which is the kinetic energy of the constituent particles' motion relative to the system as a whole. However, it excludes the kinetic energy of the system's motion as a whole and the potential energy of its position.
The internal energy of a system is not directly measurable and is defined relative to a standard reference state. It is determined by the system's entropy, volume, and the number of massive particles. Any change in the internal energy of a closed system is due to heat transfer or thermodynamic work done on or by the system. The internal energy is expressed as:
ΔU = Q - W
Where:
- ΔU represents the change in internal energy
- Q is the heat supplied to or removed from the system
- W is the thermodynamic work done on or by the system
The internal energy of a system is influenced by factors such as pressure, volume, and temperature. It is a state function, meaning its value depends only on the current state of the system and not on the path taken to reach that state. The initial and final states determine the change in internal energy, and it remains constant in an isolated system, as expressed by the law of conservation of energy.
The internal energy of a system is the sum of all forms of energy stored in its atoms or molecules. It includes the kinetic energy of the particles' motion and the potential energy from various interactions. The total internal energy of a substance in a particular thermodynamic state is the sum of these energy contributions.
Different substances have varying internal energies due to differences in their constituent atoms, bonds, temperatures, pressures, and other conditions. Even under the same conditions, the internal energy of one mole of a substance can differ from that of another. Thus, the internal energy depends on the specific characteristics of the system and its constituents.
In summary, the internal energy of a system is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics, representing the energy associated with the system's molecules and their motion. It is a state function that depends on factors such as pressure, volume, and temperature. The internal energy change is given by the equation ΔU = Q - W, where Q is the heat transfer and W is the work done. The internal energy is crucial for understanding the behaviour of systems and is a key component of the first law of thermodynamics.
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The first law applies to systems where heat transfer and work are the methods of energy transfer
The first law of thermodynamics is a formulation of the law of conservation of energy in the context of thermodynamic processes. It distinguishes two principal forms of energy transfer: heat and thermodynamic work. These two forms of energy transfer modify a thermodynamic system containing a constant amount of matter. The first law also defines the internal energy of a system, an extensive property that accounts for the balance of heat and work in the system.
The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed from one form to another. In other words, the total energy of a system remains constant, even if it is converted from one form to another. For example, kinetic energy—the energy an object possesses when it moves—is converted to heat energy when a driver presses the brakes on a car to slow it down. The first law relates the various forms of kinetic and potential energy in a system to the work the system can perform and the transfer of heat.
The first law is commonly called the conservation of energy. It allows for many possible states of a system to exist, but only certain states are found to exist in nature. This leads to the second law of thermodynamics.
The first law can be expressed as:
> ΔU = Q - W
Where ΔU is the change in the internal energy of the system, Q is the heat supplied to the system, and W is the work done by the system.
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Frequently asked questions
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is a version of the law of conservation of energy, which states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant.
No, a heat diagram does not break the first law of thermodynamics. The law states that energy can be transferred as heat or through mechanical work, and a heat diagram simply visualises this transfer of energy.
The first law is about the conservation of energy, while the second law states that the entropy of a closed system never decreases and that heat does not spontaneously pass from a colder body to a warmer body.
Human metabolism is an example of the first law in action. When we eat food, we are taking in chemical potential energy. Our bodies then convert this energy into heat and work, and any excess is stored as fat.
Heat engines are a good example of the first law in action. They take in heat energy and convert it into mechanical work, with any excess heat being released into the environment.