Thursday 17 December 2015

First Law of Thermodynamics

The first law of thermodynamics states that total energy of the universe is conserved i.e. energy can neither be created nor destroyed. 

For a closed system    ΔU=Q+W
for surrounding           ΔU=-Q-W
For universe               ΔU=ΔU(system) +  ΔU(surrounding) = 0
The total energy of universe is constant. It seems to be simple, but it strikes out so many impossibilities. Like the one I had in my childhood, I had a dream to build a device that will produce continuous power by rotating a wheel, which will drive a dynamo to produce electricity, part of which will be utilized to drive wheel and rest can be used for other purposes. but after studying this law I got to know, it is not possible to make such a system.  
We can't produce energy without giving it some equivalent amount of energy in another form.