Understanding the First Law of Thermodynamics

The First Law of Thermodynamics is essentially the law of conservation of energy. It states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. Mathematically, it is represented as:

ΔU = Q - W

Here, ΔU is the change in internal energy of the system, Q is the heat added to the system, and W is the work done by the system. In simpler terms, the energy added to a system as heat (Q) is used to do work (W) and change the internal energy (ΔU) of the system.

In class 11, this law is applied to various processes such as isothermal (constant temperature), adiabatic (no heat exchange), isobaric (constant pressure), and isochoric (constant volume) processes. Understanding this law helps in solving problems related to heat, work, and internal energy changes in these processes.