Thresholds 2 and 3 Test: Stars, Galaxies and the Formation of Elements

DW 2025

Thermodynamics

branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat, work, temperature, and energy

The first law of thermodynamics

the amount of energy in the universe will never change

The second law of thermodynamics

states that all free energy will eventually be turned into heat energy, meaning that at some point in time in the universe, there will only be unstructured energy and no structured energy (free energy)

free energy

structured flows of energy

heat energy

unstructured flows of energy

How does the distinction between “free energy” and “heat energy” relate to the first law of thermodynamics?

The law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This distinction emphasizes that free energy is available to do work, while heat energy represents energy that has become disordered and is no longer useful for work.

How does the distinction between “free energy” and “heat energy” relate to the second law of thermodynamics?

The law states that all free energy will eventually be turned into heat energy, meaning that there will only be heat energy at some point in time in the universe. This relates to the distinction between free energy and heat energy, as free energy can be converted into work, while heat energy contributes to disorder and is considered unusable for doing work. Meaning the world is consistently moving towards more entropy.

Importance of the metaphor: “Comparing the building structures of atoms from quarks in the moments after the Big Bang as the universe cooled as wet ceramic pots being solidified as fired pots”

This metaphor illustrates how the formation of atomic structures involves a cooling process similar to ceramics, highlighting the transition from chaotic quarks to organized matter (atoms) in the universe's evolution.