what is thermodynamics?
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy. In particular, it describes how thermal energy is converted to and from other forms of energy and how it affects matter. The key concept is that heat is a form of energy corresponding to a definite amount of mechanical work.
Thermal energy is the energy a substance or a system has due to its temperature i.e., the energy of moving or vibrating molecules. Because heat means energy in transit and dynamics is associated with movement; thermodynamics studies the movement of energy and how energy creates movement.
The most important laws of thermodynamics are:
- The zeroth law of thermodynamics: When two systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third system, the first two systems are also in thermal equilibrium with each other.
- The first law of thermodynamics, or the law of conservation of energy: The change in a system’s Internal Energy(U) is equal to the difference between heat added to the system from its surroundings and work done by the system on its surroundings.
- The second law of thermodynamics: Heat does not flow spontaneously from a colder region to a hotter region, or, equivalently, heat at a given temperature cannot be converted entirely into work. The entropy of a closed system, or heat energy per unit temperature, increases over time towards some maximum value. Thus, all closed systems tend towards an equilibrium state in which entropy is at a maximum and no energy is available to do useful work. The second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of any isolated system always increases.
- The third law of thermodynamics: The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero. This allows an absolute scale for entropy to be established that determines the degree of randomness or disorder in a system.
The six most common thermodynamic processes are as follows:
1. An isobaric process: It takes place at a constant pressure.
2. An isochoric process (isometric/ isovolumetric process): It Takes place at a constant volume.
3. An isothermal process: It takes place at a constant temperature.
4. An isentropic process: It takes place at a constant entropy (amount of environmental disorder).
5. An isoenthalpic process: Takes place at constant enthalpy (amount of internal heat).
6. An adiabatic process: It takes place with a constant loss or gain of heat.
We hope this could give you a brief detailed information about Thermodynamics.
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