The laws of thermodynamics are of the utmost importance, in that of all scientific communities, from biology to chemistry to mechanical systems. In all areas of scientific study the four thermodynamic laws define the parameters in which each respectively can function. “Order disorder” this statement is the epitome of the four dynamic laws and that which defines and ardently dominates them.
However what does this mean “order disorder”, and what makes it useful to the people not only studying them but also to the people that are using them in their everyday lives. Most importantly the question that must be answered is, how are they used in society and what meaningful impact do the laws have on the function of society and the people that it governs. The zeroth law of thermodynamics states “ If two thermodynamic systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third, then they are in thermal equilibrium with each other” . What does this mean? Why is it important to the function with society.
This law defines that two systems that each have the same amount of energy as another therefore have the same energy as each other. This might sound as if the definition was just repeated, but the ramifications of this law create the system that most people use today, temperature. By making these energies relative to another, empirical values can now be placed on the systems making the thermal energy an easy task to measure. This is the same idea as having a relative length system.
By defining one object its length, it is easy to define other objects the a relative length as well making it easy to use. The same principle lies in both areas and concepts. This has a great impact on society as with an empirical measuring tool to differentiate an exact amount of difference between items and energy levels. It is easy to communicate ideas through the usage of the system. For example,the weather report and its temperature reading is only useful because the relativity that it has with other temperature and degrees.
If theoretically there was no system to measure the thermal energy, the weather report isn’t useful as no person would be able to understand what “twenty two “degrees”is. When everyday kitchen items need to be cooked and the cooking instruction give a specific temperature it makes it easy understand and apply as the system is there. Once again if the system sas not there, cooking and applying such tactics would literally be useless because as there would be no feasible way to understand what exact thermal energy degree would be needed. It would more then likely be understood that, something hot would be needed to cook or bake the items needed, but the exact thermal temperature would not be known, and it would a little more than guesswork at applying method of cooking it. This idea and concept is what makes the zeroth law an important aspect of today’s society.
“Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only change forms. In any process, the total energy of the universe remains the same. For a thermodynamic cycle the net heat supplied to the system equals the net work done by the system” this is the first law in the thermodynamics and it definition self evidently expresses itself in the definition. However at the time that this law was created, it was a tremendously different and controversial idea.
At first it was believed that energy could be created and destroyed, that energy was an infinite thing, a bottomless well of power that could be tapped at any moment with no restriction. Slightly due to religious beliefs at the time, this was the common idea and concept that the general population assumed as law and providence. This new law was a huge step forward in the scientific community and the community as a whole. This new idea was the basis for the perpetual scientific leap forward that was about to occur at that time. Albeit it that this was an important law at the time, what does it have to do with our society today? What kind of effect does it have on our society today? With this key idea, ideas like efficiency came forward to make things more and more efficient.
If things were being produced a finite amount of energy is available, so how much can be achieved with that finite amount of energy and is it possible to make that energy go farther, make more things, light up more homes. Where as before there was an unlimited amount of energy, people were being efficient as way to minimize the use of time, as that was the finite quantity that they believed to be of utmost importance. Notwithstanding this quantity is crucially important today with the vast production that is needed to sustain both local and intercontinental communities. However the more matured and realized ideas of physical efficiency with production, the emphasis on today’s production is on the efficiency of energy and its products. This drives the economy and the world forward.
Cars, tablets, phones, home appliances and just about every consumer product that can be thought of is always improving its energy efficiency and how long it can run for, for cheaper. Propelling the way into the future this idea of efficiency drives the economy and the technological world forward, which is a huge effect on society. The second law of thermodynamics is as equally important as the first. The second law states “The entropy of an isolated system not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time, approaching a maximum value at equilibrium”.
This is the core idea behind the statement “order disorder”. Entropy is the closest thing to the “randomness” of an object. Simply put as an object increases the amount of energy that it possesses, the more random the particle within that object begin to move. The more energy that each particle has the more entropy that it has as well. As the particles collide with other slower moving particles, energy is transferred from the particle with more energy to that of the particle with lesser energy.
It will always work this way. The object with the originally greater amount of energy will move towards the equilibrium therefore making it have less entropy. Less entropy is less randomness and more “order”. This is the concept behind “order disorder”. As energy will always move from very high to low energy spaces. The objects with the most amount of order, colder objects will always become more random.
This pattern occurs all over the universe meaning that the universe is moving towards a state of equilibrium. All things are moving to a state of equilibrium. This is a very important idea and concept today in this society as engineers and scientist take advantage of this law to get a specific or intended reaction. As energy will move from hot to cold, engineers and scientist apply this effect to get a reaction that is needed.
For example in a refrigerator, which is an important aspect of people ‘s lives to preserve food for nutrition. This effect is used to cool the inside of the refrigerator. With this idea new inventions are being discovered and used to make the everyday lives of the general populace now and for the future better. The last law in the four laws of thermodynamics is “ As temperature approaches absolute zero, the entropy of a system approaches a constant minimum. ” This idea has already been stated in the process of this essay, however for further clarification it shall be expanded upon.
As the thermal energy apporaches absolute zero so no thermal energy, the particles slow to lose their randomness and achieve more order. This makes sense as with less energy the particles are not able to move as much making them in a more ordered state. Theoretically the absolute zero can never be reached as if the particles are unable to move and have no energy the electrons and cells would crash into another with the absence of coulomb ‘s force creating a huge explosion. This law just enforces the second law, engineers and inventors are able to use this law to create more “ordered” and “disordered” substances and objects to get an intended effect. The four laws of thermodynamics have opened the eyes of scientists and engineers of past and modern, so that they could create and use the new understanding of energy and entropy ti create substance and objects that change the everyday live of everyone on the modern and future planet. By understanding these four laws, people are able to preserve food, drive cars (cars use entropy and thermal exchange in order to function) and use a multitude of other creations and inventions to function in their everyday lives.The importance of understanding and knowing these laws are key and even paramount to the overall prosperity of not only today’s society and people but to that of the next.BibliographyEngineering And The Profession Oakes,Leone, Craig J Sunn“ThermoDynamics” Physics For Idiots Web.13 Nov.15Horizon Order and Disorder , Nic Stacey BBC Aired November 7th 2012
