Final answer:
The second law of thermodynamics does not alter but complements the conservation of energy principle by introducing constraints on the quality of energy, ensuring that while energy is conserved, the amount of useful energy diminishes over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
No, the second law of thermodynamics does not alter the conservation of energy principle; rather, they complement each other. The first law, the conservation of energy, asserts that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant. However, the second law introduces a constraint on the quality of energy, stating that the amount of energy available to do work decreases over time due to the increase in entropy, or disorder. The second law essentially adds a directionality to energy transformations indicating that processes proceed in a way that increases the overall entropy of the system and environment.
While the first law ensures no energy is lost or created, the second law acknowledges that some energy is always converted to a non-useful form in isolated systems and, thus, available 'useful' energy diminishes. This reflects the fundamental understanding that while energy quantity is conserved, the quality and utility of that energy decrease. Such principles illustrate the limits on energy efficiency and the impossibility of perpetual motion machines, since any transformation will involve an increase in entropy.