Lidwell 1 Kristen Lidwell Mrs.

Hilliard Chemistry 10C 13 February 2012 Rubber Band Thermodynami s The First Law o! Thermodynami s states that ener"y is not reated or destroyed# but is instead trans!erred. The ener"y $resent in the uni%erse is onstant. &! an ob'e t "ains ener"y# then that ener"y was not reated# but lost !rom another ob'e t. The ener"y lost !rom an ob'e t e(uals ener"y "ained by another ob'e t# and sin e heat is ener"y# heat loss also e(uals heat "ain. )n e*am$le would be an e*othermi hemi al rea tion# whi h releases heat. The site o! the rea tion

would be the system# and e%erythin" around it would be the surroundin"s. The system loses heat# but that heat is "ained by the surroundin"s. &n an endothermi rea tion# where heat is "ained# the system "ains heat# but the heat "ained is lost !rom the surroundin"s. This law an be demonstrated in an e*$eriment where a rubber band is stret hed a"ainst a !orehead. &n the e*$eriment# a rubber band was held a"ainst a !orehead until their tem$eratures mat hed. The rubber band was stret hed out a"ainst the !orehead# and then rela*ed. )s the rubber band was bein" stret hed# the !orehead "ot warmer# and when it was bein" rela*ed# the !orehead "ot ooler. &n this e*$eriment# the system is the rubber band and the surroundin" is the !orehead. +hen stret hed# the system e*othermi ally released heat into the surroundin"s. +hen the rubber band was rela*ed# it endothermi ally "ained heat !rom the !orehead. The obser%ations made in the e*$eriment are su$$orted by the First Law o! Thermodynami s. The rubber band either has $otential ener"y# whi h is stored ener"y# or ,ineti

Lidwell 2 ener"y# whi h is ener"y !rom motion. The rubber band has $otential ener"y when it is stati # or still# and stret hed# or stati and rela*ed. +hen the rubber band is bein" stret hed or rela*ed the rubber band has ,ineti ener"y. Kineti ener"y is heat# so when the rubber band is bein" either stret hed or rela*ed# heat is either bein" lost or "ained. +hen heat is lost# it is re!erred to as ne"ati%e# and when it is "ained it is re!erred to as $ositi%e heat. )t onstant $ressure# enthal$y# the !low o! heat# is e(ual to heat. +hen the e*othermi $ro ess o urs# heat is ne"ati%e# so the enthal$y is ne"ati%e as well# meanin" that the heat is released !rom the system# into the surroundin"s. +hen the endothermi $ro ess o urs# heat is $ositi%e# meanin" heat is "ained !rom the surroundin"s# so the enthal$y is $ositi%e as well. This all su$$orts the First Law o! Thermodynami s# be ause when heat is released !rom the system# it is "ained by the surroundin"s. The heat loss e(uals the heat "ain. +hen the rubber band "ains heat# the same amount o! heat is lost !rom the surroundin"s. The heat is neither reated# nor destroyed# but trans!erred !rom either the system to the surroundin"s# or %i e %ersa. &n on lusion# the rubber band e*$eriment is a "reat e*am$le o! the First Law o! Thermodynami s# whi h states that ener"y is not reated or destroyed. -ner"y is always trans!erred !rom one ob'e t to another# rather than 'ust bein" randomly reated or lost. This was a$$lied to the e*$eriment sin e the heat "ain o! the rubber band e(ualed the heat loss o! !orehead and %i e %ersa. +hen ener"y is lost !rom a system# it is "ained by the surroundin"s# and %i e %ersa. The First Law o! Thermodynami s does not 'ust a$$ly to a rubber band# but any situation where heat or ener"y is lost or "ained. )s stated in the First Law o! Thermodynami s# the ener"y in the uni%erse is onstant# so the ener"y trans!erred today will ontinue to be trans!erred !ore%er.