Second Law of Thermodynamics

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Second Law of Thermodynamics

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An inequality asserting that it is impossible to transfer heat from a colder to a warmer system without the occurrence of other simultaneous changes in the two systems or in the environment. </dd>
It follows from this law that during an adiabatic process, entropy cannot decrease. For reversible adiabatic processes entropy remains constant, and for irreversible adiabatic processes it increases. Another equivalent formulation of the law is that it is impossible to convert the heat of a system into work without the occurrence of other simultaneous changes in the system or its environment. This version, which requires an engine to have a cold source as well as a heat source, is particularly useful in engineering applications. See first law of thermodynamics. [[/a>|/a> ]]

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use