Question

Which of the following is the best example of the first law of thermodynamics?

a) Energy cannot be created or destroyed.
b) Energy tends to disperse spontaneously.
c) Disorder tends to increase over time.
d) The total energy of a system remains constant.

Answer 1

The best example of the first law of thermodynamics is a) Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Known as the law of conservation of energy, it declares that the total energy of the universe is constant, permitting only transfer or transformation, but not creation or destruction of energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best example of the first law of thermodynamics is: a) Energy cannot be created or destroyed. This law, also known as the law of conservation of energy, states that the total amount of energy in the universe remains constant. This means that while energy can be transferred from one form to another, or from one object to another, the overall energy remains unaffected.

For instance, when a light bulb illuminates, it is transforming electrical energy into light and heat energy. Similarly, a gas stove converts the chemical energy from natural gas into thermal energy. These are all examples of energy transfer, which adhere to the principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed in form.