Q.State first law of thermodynamics and give a mathematical expression for it. Mention two examples to support the law.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →First law of thermodynamics: energy is conserved. delta U = q + w, connecting heat, work and internal energy change.
The first law of thermodynamics (a restatement of the law of conservation of energy for thermodynamic systems) states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant — energy can be transformed from one form to another (e.g. heat to work) but can neither be created nor destroyed.
Mathematical expression: delta U = q + w
where delta U is the change in internal energy of the system, q is the heat absorbed by the system from the surroundings (positive if absorbed), and w is the work done on the system by the surroundings (positive if done on the system), following the IUPAC sign convention.
Examples supporting the law:
- When a gas is compressed inside an insulated (adiabatic) cylinder, no heat is exchanged (q = 0), but work is done on the gas (w is positive), so its internal energy increases (delta U = w) — this shows work being fully converted into internal energy (observed as a rise in temperature), with total energy conserved. …
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