Overview Of Three Laws Of Thermodynamics

• 1st Law of Thermo, Conservation of Energy
  • Many ways of talking Energy, Two types, Kinetic energy (KE) and Potential energy (PE)
  • For AP student, deltaE = w + q where deltaE = internal energy, w - work, and q = heat

• 2nd Law Thermo (not true definition but ours), Explains how energy moves.
  • Simple Explanation comes in 2 parts:
    
  • 1) Energy flows from a higher temperature body to a lower temperature body until the temperatures are the same.
    
  • 2) When energy moves (especially from one form of energy to another), you "lose a little" of it.
  • Need to define Temperature - average Kinetic energy (KE) of all the particles in a substance

• 3rd Law of Thermo, Condition of No Energy
  • Absolute zero is the condition of no energy that requires 0K (0 Kelvin temperature, no movement or KE of particles) and a perfect crystal.
  • Can't reach absolute zero, so all substances or systems have energy.

• For Chemical Reaction, there are 3 questions always asked:
  
• 1) Does reaction occur?
• 2) How fast does reaction go (rate of making products)
• 3) How or by what mechanics do the reactants become product
• Thermodynamics only answers 1st Question, Does reaction occur or not.