Thermodynamaniac

Unlike many of my engineering cohorts in second year, I quite enjoyed the requisite courses on thermodynamics.  This is such an amusingly succinct way of phrasing the three laws that govern the discipline that I had to copy it here:

These are physical laws that govern the transfer of energy. They can be explained in simple terms thus:

1. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy is conserved. You can't create energy from nothing, nor can you destroy it. Since heat is a form of energy, you're stuck with it, unless you convert it into some other form of energy or move it away. Since you can't get something for nothing: You can't win.
   
   
2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that heat will only flow from a region of higher temperature to one of lower temperature. To move it the other way, you need to supply some extra external energy to do the work. So moving energy in any useful direction that doesn't happen naturally requires you to put in additional energy. You can't even use the First Law and say "the total heat content is equal, so just move the heat from the cold place to the hot place" - it won't happen: You can't break even. However, the efficiency with which you move energy around is related to the temperature. The colder the better. If you could get to absolute zero, you could break even, just. But:
   
   
3. The Third Law of Thermodynamics states that it's impossible to reach absolute zero. As you make a system approach absolute zero, the process that you are using to cool it down slows down. It sucks smaller and smaller amounts of heat away (and you're using tons of energy to power this über-refrigerator), and you can never suck away that last bit of heat to get it to absolute zero. Since you can't even get to the place where the Second Law lets you do things with 100% efficiency: You can't get out of the game.

Physics is a bastard sometimes.

VIA

Comments

[Mark]

You thermodynamaniac!

Physics always fascinated me. It was one of my favorite classes. Just if they hadn't put all that math in it, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

[marian]

That's why I eschew it.

[Paul]

"You can't win. You can't break even. And you can't get out of the game."

I like that. A great way to remember it. And we all know how important it is to have a solid understanding of the laws of thermodynamics. Especially that pesky second one.

[fv]

You forgot the Zeroth Law: "You must play the game."