Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics studies heat and temperature and their relationship to energy, work, and the properties of matter.

a. Laws of Thermodynamics

1. First Law (Conservation of Energy): Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transferred or converted from one form to another.
2. Second Law: Entropy (disorder) in an isolated system always increases over time, leading to the direction of natural processes (e.g., heat flows from hot to cold).
3. Third Law: As temperature approaches absolute zero, the entropy of a system approaches a constant minimum.

b. Heat and Temperature

• Heat is energy transferred between systems due to temperature differences.
• Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles in a substance.

c. Heat Engines

• A heat engine converts thermal energy into mechanical work.
• Carnot Cycle: The most efficient cycle for a heat engine, setting the upper limit of efficiency.