How do the laws of thermodynamics apply to the entire universe?
Q. I was reading up on this subject and I don't quite understand something about it. How do we know that thermodynamics apply to the entire universe? What evidence is there in support of that claim? How does that apply to the whole universe? Is it just an assumption? Please help me out.
Asked by Joe - Wed Jun 6 16:58:05 2007 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. The laws of physics apply to the universe as a whole. The principle is that we live in ONE universe so there should be only ONE set of laws that govern it. The laws governing thermodynamics here are the same as those governing a black hole on the other side of the universe. I believe that you may be specifically referring to the the 2nd law of thermo which talks about entropy. That's the law physicist often apply to the uuniverse as a whole. It states the for any isolated system the entropy of that system must increase over time. Thus, giving an arrow to time. We can apply this law to the niverse as a whole because it too is an isolated system.
Answered by kennyk - Wed Jun 6 17:14:37 2007

What is the best book for learning Thermodynamics for beginners?
Q. What is the best book or another source for learning thermodynamics and problems. Say you had no knowledge about physics at all which would be the first book you would turn too? For a simple and easy understanding. Thank you
Asked by ru8606 - Sun Nov 19 14:16:08 2006 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. look on google
Answered by April M - Sun Nov 19 14:18:26 2006

What is the difference between heat and temperature in the molecular level, in Thermodynamics?
Q. Heat is the energy due to random motion of molecules, right? And at high temperatures molecules move more, randomly in the system than at lower temperatures, so, in trying to help me to understand my thermodynamics... what is the difference?? I know they are different, one is in Joules and the other in Kelvin, but how are they different? And how does entropy stay in this the whole story? Please give me a molecular explanation, I'm not interested in the mathematical explanation... Cheers Queenie4, I was more interested in the molecular definitions of HEAT (q) and temperature (T), and how they differ in the molecular level. I only mentioned entropy because S = q / T (for reversible processes) Cheers.
Asked by Migrant - Wed Nov 8 02:00:32 2006 - - 2 Answers - 1 Comments

A. I am a HVAC trainer in the USA, and as such I have to explain the difference between energy (heat is a form of energy) and temperature. For the most part, my students do not posses any college background, and so I do my best to explain this in layman terms. There are chapters written on this subject, and to do it justice here . well here goes. Heat is a form of energy, as is electricity, natural & propane gas, coil, gasoline, etc. Temperature is a measurement of how densely heat energy is packed into a substance. The more heat energy there is in a substance, the more vigorous the atoms and molecules will move. If the motion is vigorous enough, the substance can change its state and assume new characteristics (ice is different from liquid… [cont.]
Answered by furnaceman.com - Tue Nov 14 18:34:04 2006

Can the workings of the second law of thermodynamics ever be reversed?
Q. Can the workings of the second law of thermodynamics ever be reversed? Could it ever happen?
Asked by "Kh a a a a a n n" ! ! - Sat Apr 11 22:01:07 2009 - - 5 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Never ever ever. Second Law of Thermodynamics may as well be written in stone. No technological advance will ever defeat this law.
Answered by Ivan A - Sat Apr 11 23:18:06 2009

Why does the growth of a 7 pound baby NOT violate the second law of thermodynamics?
Q. Correction: Why does the growth of a 7 pound baby into a 100 pound adolescent NOT violate the second law of thermodynamics?
Asked by :)Anonymous - Wed Oct 21 02:08:36 2009 - - 5 Answers - 0 Comments

A. because the baby is not in a closed system...the baby is receiving massive amounts of energy input from the mother
Answered by kuiperbelt2003 - Wed Oct 21 02:17:37 2009

Why are cells able to accomplish a decrease in entropy without violating the laws of thermodynamics?
Q. Why are cells able to accomplish a decrease in entropy without violating the laws of thermodynamics (specifically the 2nd law)? Can they do this for ever? Why or why not?
Asked by Travel to Paris* - Tue Sep 16 04:50:09 2008 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Cells are not a closed system - there is a (constant) input of energy from the environment (either from consumed food, or from non-biological sources like sunlight) which offset the decrease in entropy. Theoretically, with a perpetual source of energy, cells would be able to continue in this state forever. But the sun, which is the ultimate source for all this energy in the ecosphere, will not last forever. When the sun eventually burns out (in about 5 billion years) then the source for energy for organisms on earth will stop. When this happens, organisms (and cells) will be unable to offset entropy with energy, and life on earth will cease.
Answered by gribbling - Tue Sep 16 05:19:28 2008

What are some real life examples that illustrate the first 3 laws of thermodynamics?
Q. Would anyone know? I'm writing a paper about thermodynamics and thought it would be a good idea to provide at least one example for each law.
Asked by Hanajima - Fri Feb 20 13:16:04 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Well because the 3rd law just prohibits absolute zero there really aren't any examples of this in action. It's kind of like saying "show me an example of pigs not flying".
Answered by Peter S - Fri Feb 20 13:23:43 2009

How do you apply the first law of thermodynamics to life?
Q. My brother-in-law is always talking about the first law of thermodynamics "ruling his life" and I have no idea what he's talking about because I don't care about science and haven't read about it. So, I googled it, but can't find how it applies to life.
Asked by hamsterkitten - Sat Jul 19 22:03:19 2008 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. The first Law of thermodynamics states that energy is always conserved, so maybe he means hes lazy?
Answered by rascallycrawdad - Sat Jul 19 22:16:03 2008

What is the relationship of Thermodynamics to Road Safety?
Q. I need it for a case study. Kindly discuss thorougly the connection. and maybe give a site that can discuss thermodynamics. Thanks a lot I need it for a case study. Kindly discuss how Thermodynamics is applied in Road safety and in Waste Managment. and maybe give a site that can discuss thermodynamics. Thanks a lot
Asked by george c - Sat Jan 19 01:00:36 2008 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Ok well a really good, and basic necessity it brakes. Once a vehicle is in motion, you need to be able to control its velocity, sometimes rapid deceleration is required to prevent an accident or such. To do this you are relying on your brake pads and rotors to transform some or all of the vehicles kinetic energy into heat, and dissipate it into the atmosphere effectively, on demand.
Answered by Mohawk Engineer - Sat Jan 19 01:58:11 2008

How does the second law of thermodynamics apply to humans?
Q. I've thought alot about the second law of thermodynamics, and how it prevents it from creating perpetual motion machines. Then it occured to me: a human being seems alot like a perpetual motion machine in that we seem to use more energy than we take in. I know that we do not violate the second law (we could not exist if we did), however I am confused as to how it is that we do not. (Sorry if this question is worded badly, but I wasn't sure how best to ask it)
Asked by Finn the Fox - Tue Apr 24 14:18:53 2007 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Another way to word the 2nd law is to say that energy systems have the tendency to increase our entropy rather than decrease it. If we run, we get hot. If we exercise, we create more heat. To cool ourself down, to make our bodies normal again, homeostasis occurs to balance our bodies back again. The perpetual motion machine doesn't really apply to humans, because we DO use energy to continue moving. Without food, we lose our energy reserves and will eventually die. And stop moving. Which is why we cannot become perpetual motion machines. We don't use more energy than we take in, or else we'd eventually consume ourselves. We have leftover energy from what we take in, which is why we have to use the bathroom.
Answered by titty_sucker_559 - Tue Apr 24 18:03:32 2007

how do the first two laws of thermodynamics relate to heat engines?
Q. I have heard that the first two laws of thermodynamics relate to heat engines. I am doing a small powerpoint of thermodynamics but i want some way to relate it to heat engines.
Asked by C-raig - Mon Mar 16 22:46:45 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Heat Engine after all is a energy processing unit which gives you some useful work required to move things against some forces at the cost of so called internal energy of some systems. First law is just the statement of law of conservation of energy. It is extension of law of conservation of Mechanical energy of bulk particles. Mechanical energy includes the kinetic energy and the potential energy. It is found that this is not conserved and energy seems to disappear somewhere. With experiemntal and theoretical considerations it was found that it goes into the internal energy of a system which is made up of a large number of particles at the microscopic level. Popularly it is known as heat. But internal energy is the corrcet techincal term. [cont.]
Answered by Let'slearntothink - Mon Mar 16 23:10:47 2009

What is the thermodynamics of a banana with 0% calories?
Q. I am looking for an explanation to thermodynamics of a banana a fruit with 0% calories
Asked by Natalie S - Tue Nov 25 22:15:19 2008 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Wherever did you get that info about zero calories from? This table gives calorific data of different bananas. There are many other fruits with less calories than Banana. Why should there be any thermodynamics associated with banana?
Answered by A.V.R. - Wed Nov 26 00:28:57 2008

what is the first law of thermodynamics?
Q. You are a patent agent, and an inventor comes to you claiming that he has invented a selfpowered engine that requires no fuel to run. Will you agree to patent this invention? Why or why not? Use the first law of thermodynamics to help justify your response.
Asked by navarroben - Tue Nov 13 23:25:17 2007 - - 4 Answers - 0 Comments

A. "Energy can not be created or destroyed, only altered in form"
Answered by . - Tue Nov 13 23:41:57 2007

For living organisms, which of the following is an important consequence of the first law of thermodynamics?
Q. a. Life does not obey the first law of thermodynamics. b. The energy content of an organism is constant. c. The organism ultimately must obtain all of the necessary energy for life from its environment. d. The entropy of an organism decreases with time as the organism grows in complexity. e. Organisms are unable to transform energy.
Asked by dj cali - Fri Oct 2 19:15:01 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. c. The organism must obtain alll the neccessary content of life from its environment
Answered by Alone GuY - Fri Oct 2 20:57:40 2009

Anyboby can suggest a good Thermodynamics book?
Q. I'm trying to refresh my Thermodynamics. Looking for a book particularly being used by mechanical engineering students here in the US.
Asked by montoy_vlv - Thu Jun 11 00:04:45 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. More here:
Answered by A.V.R. - Thu Jun 11 04:44:47 2009

How are Thermodynamics and cake related?
Q. My physics teacher asked us to find a relation between thermodynamics and how a cake rises. anybody know? thanks! i appreciate it
Asked by Anthony P - Tue Sep 30 22:56:01 2008 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. There are many tiny gas bubbles in the cake mixture -- they could be air bubbles (such as from beaten egg whites) or they could be carbon dioxide bubbles (produced from baking powder, which can be added to the flour). When the cake is put into a hot oven, then the hot temperature causes the volumes of the gas bubbles to increase. The total result of the expanding gas volume is a cake that "rises". If you've already studied the ideal gas law PV=nRT, then you can tell your teacher about the relation between gas temperature and volume. Good luck.
Answered by OneMoreTime - Tue Sep 30 23:34:30 2008

Does Mr. clean violate the second law of thermodynamics if he keeps on helping you cleaning after a big party?
Q. Suppose Mr. Clean is your roommate and tidies up your messy room after a big party. Because more order is being created by your roommate, does this tidying up represent a violation of the second law of thermodynamics?
Asked by ungas0076 - Fri Oct 10 05:21:58 2008 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. No. Your room is not a closed system - all the energy it takes to make his food and everything else he uses to clean create more disorder than his cleaning removes.
Answered by ThatDeadDude - Fri Oct 10 05:26:26 2008

Which of the following are formulations of the second law of thermodynamics?
Q. Which of the following are formulations of the second law of thermodynamics? A. It isn't possible to change heat completely into work, with no other change taking place. B. It isn't possible to transfer heat from an object at a lower temperature to another object at a higher temperature unless work is done. C. Entropy of a system decreases over time. D. All systems can convert energy from one form to another useful form with 100% efficiency. (there is more then one right one)
Asked by <333 - Tue May 15 18:12:08 2007 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. a and d
Answered by delldude405 - Tue May 15 18:15:11 2007

Does gravity violate the second law of Thermodynamics?
Q. Thermodynamics states that it is almost impossible for all the gas particles in a room to gather themselves into one side of the room, as this would decrease the number of microstates (by 2^n), violating the second law of thermodynamics(spontaneou s reduction of entropy cannot occur). What explanation is given for gravity which can attract particles to one another in large scales, reducing microstates? i.e. a massive cloud of H2 condensing under gravity to form a star? What happens to the entropy? I might add that H2 under the collapse of gravity gains heat from the increase in kinetic energy (and loss of gravitational potential energy). If gravity is a force, how does it do work to decrease entropy? Ultimately, does gravity increase… [cont.]
Asked by blue_zoo22 - Fri Jun 8 21:16:40 2007 - - 6 Answers - 0 Comments

A. I like your question. In short, no, gravity can't cantradict the second law--otherwise it would not be a law. If you could prove that it does, that's nobel laureate material. In effect, gravity can be considered analogous to a compression. Now, when you think of a microstate--keep in mind that's of the dimension of the state in question, e.g. phase space. For a monoatomic gas, that's x and p, or six dimensions. Sure, as you crush the gas down, the number of states in x (space) decreases, but the gas now has more collisions, and heats up, which means the states available to p (momentum) increase.
Answered by supastremph - Fri Jun 8 22:23:10 2007

A monatomic ideal gas expands isobarically. Using the first law of thermodynamics?
Q. A monatomic ideal gas expands isobarically. Using the first law of thermodynamics, prove that the heat Q is positive, so that it is impossible for heat to flow out of the gas.
Asked by Steffen - Tue Apr 28 02:19:41 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Q = U + W (acc to first law) Now U = nC(P)dT (C(P) is molar heat capacity at constant pressure) W = PdV For monoatomic gas, C(P) = 5/2R Q= 5/2R dT + PdV Q = 5/2R dT + RdT Q = 7/2 RdT Since pressure remains constant, & vol increases so temp shud incr too therefore, dt>0 thus, Q > 0
Answered by Unmesh - Tue Apr 28 02:27:46 2009