The Three Laws of Thermodynamics

In deriving the limit… on the efficiency of an engine, we used both the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The first law told us that… we can’t get more work out than the amount of heat put in. In this context, the first law is often paraphrased, “You can’t win.” The second law, however, made matters worse. It told us that we can’t even achieve [an efficiency of one, meaning all the heat is converted to work] unless [the heat engine operates between a cold reservoir at zero absolute temperature and a hot reservoir at an arbitrarily high absolute temperature], both of which are impossible in practice. In this context, the second law is often paraphrased, “You can’t even break even.” <a href="https://bradroth.medium.com/the-three-laws-of-thermodynamics-d4d5e3b3106f">Visit Now</a>