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Glite Dictionary
law of thermodynamics

law of thermodynamics

8 5.4
A basic rule that explains how energy moves and changes in closed systems
  • noun
  • /lɔː ʌv ˌθɜːrməˈdaɪnəmɪks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ley de la termodinámica
  • The first law of thermodynamics states that matter and energy can be neither created nor destroyed.
  • the second law of thermodynamics
  • the first law of thermodynamics
  • the law of thermodynamics states

So this is a supposed new law of thermodynamics.

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Examples

  • The second law of thermodynamics states that closed systems tend towards disorder.

  • Physics says the law of thermodynamics says the second law says that in a closed system, everything must eventually rust, decay, fall apart, and die.

  • It's what they call the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

    The Unbelievable Truth (1990)

  • You should, perhaps, take a look at the first law of thermodynamics.

    Blog text (18)

  • There are three laws of thermodynamics and they all deal with energy, saying that energy can neither be created or destroyed and other things like that.

  • We can't allow ourselves to obey the second law of thermodynamics, which states that in any natural process, entropy will always increase.

  • The second law of thermodynamics is usually summarized by saying entropy can't decrease.

    Sabine Hossenfelder

  • Would this invention violate the first law of thermodynamics (conservation of energy) or the second law (no perpetuum mobile)?

    Academic text (1997)

  • In 1876, Josef Loschmidt raised an objection to Boltzmann's derivation of the second law of thermodynamics from Newton's laws of motion.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed.

Surface Forms

law of thermodynamics singular
laws of thermodynamics plural

Morphology

law + of + thermodynamics

The phrase is compositionally built: 'law' (a general scientific rule) combined with 'thermodynamics' (the field about heat and energy) yields a rule governing thermodynamics, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts. The 'law of X' construction is a regular, cross-linguistic noun-of-noun pattern that a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings would readily understand.

Etymology

Law of thermodynamics comes from early scientists who described simple rules about heat and energy. The word law means a fixed 'rule', thermo means 'heat', and dynamics means 'movement', so the phrase means the basic rules for how 'heat' and 'energy' move and change.