Thermodynamics

From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change

Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that studies the movement of heat between different objects. Thermodynamics also studies the change in pressure and volume of objects. It is normally studied by using a branch of mathematics called statistics to look at the motion of particles. Thermodynamics also has 2 main branches called classical thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics. An important idea in thermodynamics is that of systems. A system is an object or a group of objects that is being studied.

[change] Laws of thermodynamics

In thermodynamics, there are 4 laws of thermodynamics that say that energy can be moved between two objects in the form of heat.

• Zeroth law of thermodynamics

If two systems have equal heat and one of the two systems has equal heat with another system, all three systems have equal heat.

• First law of thermodynamics

An increase in energy in a system is the same as the energy given to a system in the form of heat.

• Second law of thermodynamics

The temperature of systems that touch each other will become equal.

• Third law of thermodynamics

When a system has a temperature of absolute zero (the lowest temperature), the entropy (energy that cannot be used to do work) is at 0.

[change] Uses of thermodynamics

In the past, thermodynamics was studied to make steam engines work better. Now, ideas from thermodynamics are used in everything from making engines to studying black holes.