First and Second Law - Flanders and Swann
Inspired by C.P. Snow's theme of bringing Science and Art together...
[Michael:] Snow says that nobody can consider themselves educated who doesn't know
at least the basic language of Science.
I mean, things like Sir Edward Boyle's Law, for example:
the greater the external pressure, the greater the volume of hot air.
Or the Second Law of Thermodynamics - this is very important.
I was somewhat shocked the other day to discover that my partner not only
doesn't know the Second Law, he doesn't even know the First Law of Thermodynamics.
Going back to first principles, very briefly, thermodynamics is of course derived
from two Greek words: thermos, meaning hot, if you don't drop it,
and dinamiks, meaning dynamic, work; and thermodynamics is simply the science of
heat and work and the relationships between the two,
as laid down in the Laws of Thermodynamics,
which may be expressed in the following simple terms...
After me...
- The First Law of Thermodymamics:
- Heat is work and work is heat
- Heat is work and work is heat
- Very good!
- The Second Law of Thermodymamics:
- Heat cannot of itself pass from one body to a hotter body
- (scat music starts)
- Heat cannot of itself pass from one body to a hotter body
- Heat won't pass from a cooler to a hotter
- Heat won't pass from a cooler to a hotter
- You can try it if you like but you far better notter
- You can try it if you like but you far better notter
- 'Cos the cold in the cooler with get hotter as a ruler
- 'Cos the cold in the cooler with get hotter as a ruler
- 'Cos the hotter body's heat will pass to the cooler
- 'Cos the hotter body's heat will pass to the cooler
- First Law:
- Heat is work and work is heat and work is heat and heat is work
- Heat will pass by conduction
- Heat will pass by conduction
- Heat will pass by convection
- Heat will pass by convection
- Heat will pass by radiation
- Heat will pass by radiation
- And that's a physical law
- Heat is work and work's a curse
- And all the heat in the Universe
- Is gonna cooool down 'cos it can't increase
- Then there'll be no more work and there'll be perfect peace
- Really?
- Yeah - that's entropy, man!
- And all because of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which lays down:
- That you can't pass heat from the cooler to the hotter
- Try it if you like but you far better notter
- 'Cos the cold in the cooler will get hotter as a ruler
- 'Cos the hotter body's heat will pass to the cooler
- Oh, you can't pass heat from the cooler to the hotter
- You can try it if you like but you'll only look a fooler
- 'Cos the cold in the cooler will get hotter as a ruler
- That's a physical Law!
- Oh, I'm hot!
- Hot? That's because you've been working!
- Oh, Beatles - nothing!
- That's the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics!
Footnotes
This always reminds me of
Tom Lehrer's
Elements - a physics
teacher once played both to our class.