The Theory Of Energy: Energy And Thermodynamics

Energy and Thermodynamics

Energy is a property of objects which can be transferred to other objects or converted into different forms. Thermodynamics definition states the importance of energy, ‘the branch of physical science that deals with the relations between heat and other forms of energy (such as mechanical, electrical, or chemical energy), and, by extension, of the relationships between all forms of energy.’

For a fixed quantity of gas, pressure is proportional to temperature and inversely proportional to volume. Therefore, ways to get (heat) energy out of a system:

1. Change in temperature - a steam engine works by heating and cooling of steam.

2. Change in pressure – working of a windmill.

3. Change in volume - a gas rushing against

Thermodynamics can answer many of the question of ecology that has been an obstacle for a long time, such as how many species are there in an ecosystem, how many species are expected to be lost if a forest were cleared, how to design wildlife preserves that keep species intact, or how many rarely seen species might be hiding in a given area. Life of an ecologist will become a whole lot easier. This is well explained by the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) theory of ecology. This theory was formulated by John Harte, a professor of ecology at University of California, Berkeley and an ex-professor of thermodynamics at the Yale University. Around seven years ago, exploring the Western Ghats of India, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, he was truly convinced that the back-of-the-envelope calculations by him could actually work in the real world and answer question that have been a problem for a very long time. His team soon plans to do research in the tropical forest of Panama. This theory can also be applied in the most biodiverse place on Earth – the Amazon Rainforest. This could help us estimate the real number of species, both of flora and fauna, in the two million area of rainforest which is difficult to survey completely. This theory can help us know about the whole ecosystem by describing some thermodynamic variables and equations, a paradise for an ecologist. After doing a whole lot of research in ecology and

As a wise man has said, with great power comes great responsibility, thermodynamics has blessed us with various machines which can exploited to much extent. So it is our responsibility to follow and maintain a certain ethical code.

Out of the three laws of thermodynamics, the use game of ethics should very strong in the application of the second law. Major machining breakthrough in the last two decades have been a result of the manipulation of the second law of thermodynamics. Refrigerators, water heaters, air conditioners etc. work on the principle of the second law of thermodynamics.

In all of the above mentioned machines, we always ensure that the efficiency of the machine is maximum. This is to ensure that the machine uses minimum amount of energy to produce the best possible result. Efficiency can be found out by calculating the ratio of the amount of work done by the machine to the amount of heat that is given to the system. If the efficiency of the system is high, then the system will require minimum amount of fuel (either coal, petroleum or natural gas considering the most common cases). Even if the machine is plug onto electricity, still electricity is produced by using coal. At the present rate of consumption of coal, it is estimated that its sources will be exhausted in two hundred years of time, and petroleum in the next fifty years. Thus in the present