FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS CLOSED SYSTEMS

As previously stated, the First Law of Thermodynamics is in fact an expression of the principle of conservation of energy. The latter states that Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another. (i.e. every bit of energy should be accounted for). We have up to now considered heat Q, work W and total energy E separately. We will now try to relate them. From the statement on the principle of conservation of energy, it is deduced that : (i) in the absence of any work interactions between a system and its surroundings, the amount of heat transfer is equal to the change in total energy of a system. Q= E ( W = 0)

This can be illustrated by the example of a potato placed in an oven. As a result of heat transfer, the energy of the potato will increase and the gain in energy of the potato will be equal to the heat transferred. (ii) for adiabatic processes, the amount of work done on a system is equal to the change in the total energy of a closed system: -W = E ( Q = 0)

This can be illustrated by taking the example of an insulated room being heated by an electric heater. The only interaction occurring will be the electrical work done on the system, which will increase the energy of the system. The negative sign ensures that work done on a system increases the energy of a system whereas the work done by a system will decrease the energy of the same system. To summarise, we can say that the First Law of Thermodynamics as applied to Closed Systems can be expressed as :

QW=

where Q-W represents the net energy transfer to (or from) the system as heat and work and E represents the net increase (or decrease) in the total energy of the system.

As explained in Unit 1 (refer to equation 1.1), the total energy of a system is made up of the internal energy of the system plus the kinetic energy of the system plus the potential energy of the system. Hence, the change in total energy of a system will be equal to the sum of the changes in internal energy (U), kinetic energy (K.E.) and potential energy (P.E.) of the system. E = U + KE + PE Most closed systems are stationary and thus the change in kinetic energy and potential energy can be neglected. The 1st law of thermodynamics will then simplify as:

Q W = U