Thermodynamics Basics

Thermodynamics is the study of heat, energy, and their transformations, governing processes from engines to weather systems.

First Law

The first law, or conservation of energy, states that the total energy of an isolated system is constant. Energy can be transferred as heat (\(Q\)) or work (\(W\)):

Where \(\Delta U\) is the change in internal energy.

Heat Equation

The heat required to change an object’s temperature is:

Where \(m\) is mass, \(c\) is specific heat, and \(\Delta T\) is temperature change.

Example: Heating 1 kg of water (\(c = 4186 \, \text{J/kg°C}\)) by 10°C:

Applications

Thermodynamics is key to designing engines, refrigerators, and understanding climate systems.