First Law of Thermodynamics
Explore how heat, work, and internal energy are related in this interactive piston and gas sandbox.
The Law of Energy Conservation
The First Law of Thermodynamics is a version of the law of conservation of energy. It states that the change in the Internal Energy ($\Delta U$) of a system is equal to the Heat Added to the system ($Q$) minus the Work Done by the system ($W$).
$ \Delta U $ =
$ Q $ -
$ W $
How to Experiment
- Setup (While Paused): Add or remove weights to change the external pressure. You can also lock the piston for a constant-volume (isochoric) test.
- Run the Simulation: Press Start to see how the gas particles react to the conditions you've set.
- Interact (While Running): Hold the Add Heat or Cool Down buttons to see the effect of energy transfer on the gas.
- Analyze: Watch the P-V diagram trace the path of your experiment.
Controls
What's Happening?
Live System Data
Temperature: 0.0 K
Pressure: 0.0 kPa
Volume: 0.0 L
Internal Energy ($\Delta U$): 0.0 J
Heat Added (Q): 0.0 J
Work Done (W): 0.0 J