Medical Dictionary

law of thermodynamics


Medical Definition of law of thermodynamics

  1. 1:  conservation of energy—called also first law of thermodynamics

  2. 2:  a law in physics: mechanical work can be derived from the heat in a body only when the body is able to communicate with another at a lower temperature or all actual spontaneous processes result in an increase of total entropy—called also second law of thermodynamics

  3. 3:  a law in physics: at the absolute zero of temperature the entropy of any pure crystalline substance is zero and its derivative with respect to temperature is zero—called also third law of thermodynamics

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