What is Thermodynamics?

Thermodynamics is the physics of heat, temperature, and energy transfer. It explores how energy moves between objects—like when your hot cocoa cools down on a winter day.

The Laws of Thermodynamics

• First Law: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or changed from one form to another.
• Second Law: Heat naturally flows from hot objects to cold ones, not the other way around.

Heat Transfer

There are three main ways heat moves:

• Conduction: Direct contact, like a spoon warming up in hot soup.
• Convection: Movement of fluids, like air currents or boiling water.
• Radiation: Transfer through electromagnetic waves, like sunlight warming your skin.

Why it Matters

Thermodynamics explains everything from how your refrigerator works to why engines need fuel.