FACTOID # 115: American planes take-off a staggering 8.5 million times per year - almost half the number of take-offs worldwide.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

FACTS & STATISTICS    Simple view

  1. Select countries to view: (hold down Control key and click to select several)

     

     

    Compare:

     

     

  1. Select fact or statistic: (* = graphable)

     

     

     

  2. (OPTIONAL) Compare to statistic: (both need to be graphable)

     

     

     

  3. View result as:

     

       
(OR) SEARCH ALL encyclopedia, stats & forums:   

Encyclopedia > Laws of thermodynamics
Thermodynamic equations
Laws of thermodynamics
Zero law
First law
Second law
Third law
Conjugate variables
Thermodynamic potential
Material properties
Maxwell relations
Bridgman's equations
Exact differential
Table of thermodynamic equations
edit

The laws of thermodynamics, in principle, describe the specifics for the transport of heat and work in thermodynamic processes. Since their conception, however, these laws have become some of the most important in all of physics and other branches of science connected to thermodynamics. They are often associated with concepts far beyond what is directly stated in the wording. In thermodynamics, there are a large number of equations relating the various thermodynamic quantities. ... The zeroth law of thermodynamics may be succintly stated as: If two thermodynamic systems A and B are in thermal equilibrium, and B and C are also in thermal equilibrium, then A and C are in thermal equilibrium. ... In thermodynamics, the first law of thermodynamics is an expression of the more universal physical law of the conservation of energy. ... The second law of thermodynamics is an expression of the universal law of increasing entropy. ... The third law of thermodynamics (hereinafter Third Law) states that as a system approaches the zero absolute temperature (hereinafter ZAT), all processes cease and the entropy of the system approaches a minimum value. ... Thermodynamic potentials Maxwell relations Bridgmans equations Exact differential (edit) In thermodynamics, the internal energy of a system is expressed in terms of pairs of conjugate variables such as pressure/volume or temperature/entropy. ... In thermodynamics, thermodynamic potentials are parameters associated with a thermodynamic system and have the dimensions of energy. ... The thermodynamic properties of materials are intensive thermodynamic parameters which are specific to a given material. ... Maxwells relations are a set of equations in thermodynamics which are derivable from the definitions of the thermodynamic potentials. ... In thermodynamics, Bridgmans thermodynamic equations are a basic set of thermodynamic equations, derived using a method of generating a large number of thermodynamic identities involving a number of thermodynamic quantities. ... In mathematics, a differential dQ is said to be exact, as contrasted with an inexact differential, if the function Q exists. ... For more elaboration on these equations see: thermodynamic equations. ... For other uses, see Heat (disambiguation) In physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is energy transferred from one body or system to another due to a difference in temperature. ... In thermodynamics, work is the quantity of energy transferred from one system to another without an accompanying transfer of entropy. ... A thermodynamic process may be defined as the energetic evolution of a thermodynamic system proceeding from an initial state to a final state. ... For a list of set rules, see Laws of science. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... Thermodynamics (from the Greek θερμη, therme, meaning heat and δυναμις, dynamis, meaning power) is a branch of physics that studies the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, and volume on physical systems at the macroscopic scale by analyzing the collective motion of their particles using statistics. ...

Contents

History

The first established principle of thermodynamics (which eventually became the Second Law) was formulated by Sadi Carnot in 1824. By 1860, as found in the works of those as Rudolf Clausius and William Thomson, there were two established "principles" of thermodynamics, the first principle and the second principle. As the years passed, these principles turned into "laws." By 1873, for example, thermodynamicist Josiah Willard Gibbs, in his “Graphical Methods in the Thermodynamics of Fluids”, clearly stated that there were two absolute laws of thermodynamics, a first law and a second law. Sadi Carnot in the dress uniform of a student of the École polytechnique Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot (June 1, 1796 - August 24, 1832) was a French physicist and military engineer who gave the first successful theoretical account of heat engines, now known as the Carnot cycle, thereby laying the... Rudolf Clausius - physicist and mathematician Rudolf Julius Emanuel Clausius (January 2, 1822 – August 24, 1888), was a German physicist and mathematician. ... There have been a number of people named William Thomson: William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, usually known as Lord Kelvin, was a 19th century British physicist. ... Josiah Willard Gibbs (February 11, 1839 New Haven – April 28, 1903 New Haven) was one of the very first American theoretical physicists and chemists. ...


Presently, there are a total of five laws. Over the last 80 years or so, occasionally, various writers have suggested adding Laws, but none of them have been widely accepted.


Overview

The zeroth law of thermodynamics may be succintly stated as: If two thermodynamic systems A and B are in thermal equilibrium, and B and C are also in thermal equilibrium, then A and C are in thermal equilibrium. ... In thermodynamics, the first law of thermodynamics is an expression of the more universal physical law of the conservation of energy. ... The second law of thermodynamics is an expression of the universal law of increasing entropy. ... The third law of thermodynamics (hereinafter Third Law) states that as a system approaches the zero absolute temperature (hereinafter ZAT), all processes cease and the entropy of the system approaches a minimum value. ... In thermodynamics, the Onsager reciprocal relations express the equality of certain relations between flows and forces in thermodynamical systems out of equilibrium, but where a notion of local equilibrium exists. ...

Zeroth law

If two thermodynamic systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third, then they are in thermal equilibrium with each other. The zeroth law of thermodynamics may be succintly stated as: If two thermodynamic systems A and B are in thermal equilibrium, and B and C are also in thermal equilibrium, then A and C are in thermal equilibrium. ...

When two systems are put in contact with each other, there will be a net exchange of energy between them unless or until they are in thermal equilibrium, that is, they contain the same amount of thermal energy for a given volume (say, 1 cubic centimeter, or 1 cubic inch.) While this is a fundamental concept of thermodynamics, the need to state it explicitly as a law was not perceived until the first third of the 20th century, long after the first three laws were already widely in use, hence the zero numbering. The Zeroth Law asserts that thermal equilibrium, viewed as a binary relation, is an equivalence relation. In thermodynamics, a thermodynamic system is in thermodynamic equilibrium if its energy distribution equals a Maxwell-Boltzmann-distribution. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... In mathematics, a binary relation (or a dyadic relation) is an arbitrary association of elements of one set with elements of another (perhaps the same) set. ... In mathematics, an equivalence relation is a binary relation between two elements of a set which groups them together as being equivalent in some way. ...


First law

In any process, the total energy of the universe remains the same. In thermodynamics, the first law of thermodynamics is an expression of the more universal physical law of the conservation of energy. ...

It can also be defined as:

for a thermodynamic cycle the sum of net heat supplied to the system and the net work done by the system is equal to zero.

More simply, the First Law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; rather, the amount of energy lost in a steady state process cannot be greater than the amount of energy gained.


This is the statement of conservation of energy for a thermodynamic system. It refers to the two ways that a closed system transfers energy to and from its surroundings - by the process of heating (or cooling) and the process of mechanical work. The rate of gain or loss in the stored energy of a system is determined by the rates of these two processes. In open systems, the flow of matter is another energy transfer mechanism, and extra terms must be included in the expression of the first law. This article is about the law of conservation of energy in physics. ... Thermodynamics (Greek: thermos = heat and dynamic = change) is the physics of energy, heat, work, entropy and the spontaneity of processes. ... In thermodynamics, a closed system, as contrasted with an isolated system, can exchange heat and work, but not matter, with its surroundings. ...


The First Law clarifies the nature of energy. It is a stored quantity which is independent of any particular process path, i.e., it is independent of the system history. If a system undergoes a thermodynamic cycle, whether it becomes warmer, cooler, larger, or smaller, then it will have the same amount of energy each time it returns to a particular state. Mathematically speaking, energy is a state function and infinitesimal changes in the energy are exact differentials. A thermodynamic cycle is a series of thermodynamic processes which returns a system to its initial state. ... In thermodynamics, a state function, or state quantity, is a property of a system that depends only on the current state of the system, not on the way in which the system got to that state. ... In mathematics, a differential dQ is said to be exact, as contrasted with an inexact differential, if the function Q exists. ...


All laws of thermodynamics but the First are statistical and simply describe the tendencies of macroscopic systems. For microscopic systems with few particles, the variations in the parameters become larger than the parameters themselves, and the assumptions of thermodynamics become meaningless. The First Law, i.e. the law of conservation, has become the most secure of all basic laws of science. At present, it is unquestioned.


Second law

The entropy of an isolated system not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time, approaching a maximum value at equilibrium. The second law of thermodynamics is an expression of the universal law of increasing entropy. ... For other uses, see: information entropy (in information theory) and entropy (disambiguation). ... In thermodynamics, an isolated system, as contrasted with a closed system, is a physical system that does not interact with its surroundings. ... In thermodynamics, a thermodynamic system is said to be in thermodynamic equilibrium when it is in thermal equilibrium, mechanical equilibrium, and chemical equilibrium. ...

In a simple manner, the second law states that "energy systems have a tendency to increase their entropy" rather than decrease it.


A way of looking at the second law for non-scientists is to look at entropy as a measure of chaos. So, for example, a broken cup has less order and more chaos than an intact one. Likewise, solid crystals, the most organized form of matter, have very low entropy values; and gases, which are highly disorganized, have high entropy values. For other uses, see Chaos (disambiguation). ... Crystal (disambiguation) Insulin crystals A crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. ... For other uses, see Gas (disambiguation). ...


The entropy of a thermally isolated macroscopic system never decreases (see Maxwell's demon). However, a microscopic system may exhibit fluctuations of entropy opposite to that dictated by the Second Law (see Fluctuation Theorem). In fact, the mathematical proof of the Fluctuation Theorem from time-reversible dynamics and the Axiom of Causality constitutes a proof of the Second Law. In a logical sense the Second Law thus ceases to be a "Law" of physics and instead becomes a theorem which is valid for large systems or long times. For other uses, see: information entropy (in information theory) and entropy (disambiguation). ... Maxwells demon is an 1867 thought experiment by the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell, meant to raise questions about the possibility of violating the second law of thermodynamics. ... The fluctuation theorem (FT) is a theorem from statistical mechanics dealing with the relative probability that the entropy of a system which is currently away from thermodynamic equilibrium (maximum entropy) will increase or decrease over a given amount of time. ... The Axiom of Causality is the proposition that everything in the universe has a cause and is thus an effect of that cause. ...


The first and second law can be combined to yield the Fundamental Thermodynamic Relation:


dE = TdS - pdV,


Here, E is energy, T is temperature, S is entropy, p is pressure, and V is volume. For other uses, see Temperature (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see: information entropy (in information theory) and entropy (disambiguation). ... This article is about pressure in the physical sciences. ... For other uses, see Volume (disambiguation). ...


Third law

As temperature approaches absolute zero, the entropy of a system approaches a constant minimum. The third law of thermodynamics (hereinafter Third Law) states that as a system approaches the zero absolute temperature (hereinafter ZAT), all processes cease and the entropy of the system approaches a minimum value. ... For other uses, see Absolute Zero (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see: information entropy (in information theory) and entropy (disambiguation). ...

In brief, this postulates that entropy is temperature dependent and leads to the formulation of the idea of absolute zero. For other uses, see Absolute Zero (disambiguation). ...


Tentative fourth laws or principles

In the late 19th century, thermodynamicist Ludwig Boltzmann argued that the fundamental object of contention in the life-struggle in the evolution of the organic world is 'available energy'. Since then, over the years, various thermodynamic researchers have come forward to ascribe to or to postulate potential fourth laws of thermodynamics; in some cases, even fifth or sixth laws of thermodynamics are proposed. The majority of these tentative fourth law statements are attempts to apply thermodynamics to evolution. Most fourth law statements, however, are speculative and far from agreed upon. Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann (Vienna, Austrian Empire, February 20, 1844 – Duino near Trieste, September 5, 1906) was an Austrian physicist famous for his founding contributions in the fields of statistical mechanics and statistical thermodynamics. ... Thermodynamics (from the Greek θερμη, therme, meaning heat and δυναμις, dynamis, meaning power) is a branch of physics that studies the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, and volume on physical systems at the macroscopic scale by analyzing the collective motion of their particles using statistics. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ...


The most commonly proposed Fourth Law is the Onsager reciprocal relations. Another example is the maximum power principle as put forward initially by biologist Alfred Lotka in his 1922 article Contributions to the Energetics of Evolution.[1] Most variations of hypothetical fourth laws (or principles) have to do with the environmental sciences, biological evolution, or galactic phenomena.[2] In thermodynamics, the Onsager reciprocal relations express the equality of certain relations between flows and forces in thermodynamical systems out of equilibrium, but where a notion of local equilibrium exists. ... This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer. ... Alfred James Lotka (March 2, 1880 - December 5, 1949) was a US mathematician and statistician, most famous for his work in population dynamics. ...


Extended interpretations

The laws of thermodynamics are sometimes interpreted to have a wider significance and implication than simply encoding the experimental results upon which the science of thermodynamics is based. See, for example:

The Principles of Energetics can be thought of as a broad overarching expression of the many different laws uncovered in all branches of science; mechanics, biology, kinetics, electronics and theromodynamics are examples. ... The heat death is a possible final state of the universe, in which it has run down to a state of no free energy to sustain motion or life. ...

See also

In physics, a conservation law states that a particular measurable property of an isolated physical system does not change as the system evolves. ... In science, there are a specific number of established scientific laws, or physical laws as they are sometimes called, that are considered absolute and inarguable facts of the physical world. ... The philosophy of thermal and statistical physics is one of the major subdisciplines of the philosophy of physics. ... For more elaboration on these equations see: thermodynamic equations. ... Thermodynamics (from the Greek θερμη, therme, meaning heat and δυναμις, dynamis, meaning power) is a branch of physics that studies the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, and volume on physical systems at the macroscopic scale by analyzing the collective motion of their particles using statistics. ...

References

  1. ^ A.J.Lotka (1922a) 'Contribution to the energetics of evolution' [PDF]. Proc Natl Acad Sci, 8: pp. 147–51.
  2. ^ Morel, R.E. ,Fleck, George. (2006). "Fourth Law of Thermodynamics" Chemistry, Vol. 15, Iss. 4

Further reading

  • Goldstein, Martin, and Inge F., 1993. The Refrigerator and the Universe. Harvard Univ. Press. A gentle introduction.

External links

  • A Proposed 5th Law of Thermodynamics

  Results from FactBites:
 
Laws of thermodynamics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1106 words)
While this is a fundamental concept of thermodynamics, the need to state it explicitly as a law was not perceived until the first third of the 20th century, long after the first three laws were already widely in use, hence the zero numbering.
Thermodynamic equilibrium includes thermal equilibrium (associated with heat exchange and parameterized by temperature), mechanical equilibrium (associated with work exchange and parameterized by generalized forces such as pressure), and chemical equilibrium (associated with matter exchange and parameterized by chemical potential).
The laws of thermodynamics are sometimes interpreted to have a wider significance and implication than simply encoding the experimental results upon which the science of thermodynamics is based.
Three laws of thermodynamics - definition of Three laws of thermodynamics in Encyclopedia (1781 words)
Thermodynamics is the physics of energy, heat, work, entropy and the spontaneity of processes.
Thermodynamics is closely related to statistical mechanics from which many thermodynamic relationships can be derived.
Thermodynamic laws are of very general validity, and they do not depend on the details of the interactions or the systems being studied.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.