Q.State and explain first law of thermodynamics. Give its mathematical form.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The first law of thermodynamics is the law of conservation of energy applied to a thermodynamic system, expressed as Delta U = q + w.
Statement: The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, although it can be converted from one form to another. Equivalently: the total energy of an isolated system remains constant.
Explanation: When a system undergoes a change of state, its internal energy (U) can change because the system exchanges energy with its surroundings in two ways: by exchanging heat (q) and by doing/receiving work (w). Whatever internal energy the system gains or loses must be exactly accounted for by the heat and work exchanged — no energy simply appears or vanishes.
Mathematical form:
Delta U = q + w
where:
- Delta U = change in internal energy of the system (U_final - U_initial), a state function.
- q = heat absorbed by the system (positive) or released by the system (negative) — IUPAC convention.
- w = work done ON the system (positive) or done BY the system (negative) — IUPAC convention. …
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