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[[File:steamengine.jpg|300px|thumb|Figure 1. Steam-driven trains were one of the first products of thermodynamics.<ref>geograph UK [Online], Available: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Sommerfeld1897.gif</ref>]]

<onlyinclude>'''Thermodynamics''' is the study of how [[heat]] can be transformed into useful [[energy]] in the form of [[work]], hence the name ''thermo'' + ''dynamics''.<ref name=Knight>Randall Knight, ''Physics for Scientists and Engineers,'' 3rd Ed. New York: Pearson, 2013, Ch. 16, p. 443.</ref> It is an extremely vast and intricate area of science which took many years to develop, beginning in the early 19th century.</onlyinclude> Scientists were beginning to understand the possibility of attaining work from a heat source, and this was first [[mechanical equivalent of heat|demonstrated by James Joule]] in the 1840's.<ref name=hist>Waterloo University, ''Historical Background'' [Online], Available: http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses/me354/past.html</ref> Thermodynamics gives the foundation for [[heat engine]]s, [[power plant]]s, [[chemical reaction]]s, [[refrigerator]]s, and many more important concepts that the world we live in today relies on.

Beginning to understand thermodynamics requires knowledge of how the microscopic world operates. Some key ideas that describe the microscopic properties of a system include [[temperature]], [[pressure]] and [[internal energy]]. Understanding the properties of a system is crucial, but even more so is the transfer of this energy to other systems, known as [[heat transfer]]. An analysis of these ideas led scientists to the formulation of the four laws of thermodynamics.<ref name=hist/>

[[File:quotemeonthis.png|780px|center|thumb|<ref>Image of A. Sommerfeld via Wikimedia Commons [Online], Available: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Sommerfeld1897.gif</ref>]]

==Laws of Thermodynamics==
The laws of thermodynamics lay the foundation for how a system can change, function, and supply useful energy. They are all fundamental statements to all of science, and introduce important concepts which extend far beyond the bounds of the topic. These statements are introduced below, and can be explored fully on their respective pages:<Ref>B. Everett, G. Boyle, S. Peake and J. Ramage, "Heat to motive power," in ''Energy Systems and Sustainability'', 2nd ed., Oxford, UK: Oxford, 2013, ch.6, pp.187</ref>

* '''[http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/thereq.html#c2 The zeroth law of thermodynamics]''' - this law is a statement of [[thermal equilibrium]] and what that means for [[heat transfer]]. This is a way of thinking about what it means for two systems to be at the same temperature.

* '''The [[first law of thermodynamics]]''' - this is essentially the [[law of conservation of energy]], but states that the change internal energy is given by an input of heat, work, or both.

* '''The [[second law of thermodynamics]]''' - this law imposes more severe constraints on heat transfer and limits the [[thermal efficiency|efficiency]] of heat engines. It introduces the important idea of [[entropy]], which has some interesting implications.

*'''The [http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Thermodynamics/Laws_of_Thermodynamics/Third_Law_of_Thermodynamics third law of thermodynamics]''' - the idea of [[absolute zero]] is introduced, and this law shows that nothing can be cooled to this temperature.

==References==
{{reflist}}
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Thermodynamics - Revision history

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J.williams at 17:00, 12 August 2015