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Thermodynamics

Energy, heat, work, internal energy, the laws of thermodynamics, and the kinetic theory of gases — from the microscopic motion of molecules to macroscopic engine efficiency.

8 articles

Ideal gas law — piston compressing gas in a cylinder illustrating the relationship between pressure, volume, and temperature
Thermodynamics
Physics Fundamentals Editorial Team14 min read

Ideal Gas Law PV = nRT: What R Is, Derivation & 4 Worked Examples

Every breath you take, every balloon you inflate, every weather system on Earth obeys one elegant equation: PV = nRT. The ideal gas law connects the pressure, volume, temperature, and quantity...

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Specific heat capacity — beakers being heated illustrating different energy requirements for different materials
Thermodynamics
Physics Fundamentals Editorial Team13 min read

Specific Heat Capacity: Formula Q = mcΔT, Values & Worked Examples

Put an equal mass of water and sand in the sun. The sand gets scorching hot in minutes; the water barely warms. Same energy input, same mass — completely different temperature rise. The propert...

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Entropy — ink drop spreading in water illustrating the spontaneous increase in disorder and entropy
Thermodynamics
Physics Fundamentals Editorial Team14 min read

Entropy Explained: Definition, Formula ΔS = Q/T & the Second Law

Drop a drop of ink into a glass of water. It spreads — slowly, irreversibly — until uniformly distributed. You will never see the ink spontaneously re-concentrate. Crack an egg: you cannot uncr...

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Second law of thermodynamics — heat engine diagram showing heat flow from hot to cold reservoir
Thermodynamics
Physics Fundamentals Editorial Team16 min read

Second Law of Thermodynamics: Entropy, Heat Engines & Carnot Efficiency

The second law of thermodynamics is arguably the most profound statement in all of science. It explains why time appears to have a direction (why we remember the past and not the future), why n...

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Heat transfer — three panels showing conduction through a rod, convection currents in a fluid, and radiation from a hot surface
Thermodynamics
Physics Fundamentals Editorial Team14 min read

Heat Transfer: Conduction, Convection and Radiation — Formulas & Examples

Heat spontaneously flows from hot objects to cold ones — the direction dictated by the second law of thermodynamics and the concept of entropy. But how does it actually transfer? There are exac...

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Kinetic theory of gases — molecules in motion representing gas pressure and temperature
Thermodynamics
Physics Fundamentals Editorial Team13 min read

Kinetic Theory of Gases: Pressure, Temperature & Molecular Motion

What Is the Kinetic Theory of Gases? The kinetic theory of gases is a scientific model that explains the macroscopic properties of gases — pressure, temperature, and volume — in terms of...

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First law of thermodynamics — fire illustrating heat as a form of energy transfer
Thermodynamics
Physics Fundamentals Editorial Team11 min read

First Law of Thermodynamics: ΔU = Q − W Explained with Worked Examples

Every engine ever built, every metabolic reaction in your body, every star burning in the sky — all operate under one inviolable constraint: the first law of thermodynamics. It is, at its core,...

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What is energy — lightning bolt representing electrical energy and energy transformation
Thermodynamics
Physics Fundamentals Editorial Team12 min read

What Is Energy in Physics? Definition, Types, Conservation & Units

What Is Energy? The Definition in Physics The definition of energy in physics: energy is a scalar quantity that measures the capacity of a system to do work or produce heat. It is not a...

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