Q. Explain important properties of energy?
Properties of Energy
There are two important laws that explain the important properties of energy:
Conservation of Energy
(also called the First Law of Thermodynamics):
This law states that energy is neither created nor destroyed. Instead, energy is converted from one form to another. Therefore, the total amount of energy in the universe is conserved. For example, during photosynthesis, a plant converts light energy from the sun into chemical energy of the molecules that make up the plant. Next, when animals consume the plant, the chemical energy of the plant's molecules is converted into heat energy. Although the energy has been changed from light energy to chemical energy to heat energy, the total amount of energy involved remains the same.
Increase in Entropy
(also called the Second Law of Thermodynamics):
Entropy is a measure of randomness, or disorder. The more disordered a system is, the more entropy it has. As natural processes have a tendency towards maximum disorder, the entropy of the universe is always increasing. For example, when a plant dies, the molecules of the plant break down and become disorganized, and consequently, the entropy of the system increase.You can witness this increase in entropy yourself by noticing how naturally your room becomes cluttered soon after you clean it!