First law of thermodynamics
The first law of thermodynamics is a formulation of the law of conservation of energy in the context of thermodynamic processes.
At a glance
Key signals
0% cross fields · reaches 0 more
- Physics
- Thermodynamics
- Explanation
- Examples
- Misconception
- Sourced relations 2
- Attribution
Dependencies
What this concept builds on and what it makes possible — derived from the atlas’s dependency, causal and structural relations, not from every related edge.
System context
First law of thermodynamicsis part ofLaw of thermodynamicsEstablished
first law of thermodynamics is part of law of thermodynamics.
Mechanism: The first law is thermodynamics' conservation rule: energy is never created or destroyed, only converted between heat, work and internal energy.
- University Physics (OpenStax) verifiedmoderate evidence
Structural role & consequence
Interpreted from the current atlas graph — what the connections mean, not just how many there are.
Currently dark in the atlas: no key date stored · 1 of 2 of its relations lack claim-level evidence.
atlas representation · Describes the current Thinking OS representation, not the state of the world.
Exercises 2 annotated mental models — a concept that connects several thinking patterns.
curated · Curated annotations, not a derived measure.
Structural neighbourhood: 2 → 5 → 23 concepts reachable within 3 hops.
structural · Structural reach — being reachable is not the same as being understood.
All 2 of its relationships stay within its own discipline — a field-specific concept in the current atlas.
structural · Structural graph analysis — not a claim of importance, causation or history.
cross-field
2 within-field, 0 cross-field
Strengths & constraints
Constraints
- No dated history stored — the atlas records no key date for this concept. atlas representation
Seen through each discipline
How this concept sits in each of its fields — derived from its real connections in the graph, not asserted.
Through this lens it connects to Law of thermodynamics and Conservation of energy.
Through this lens it connects to Law of thermodynamics and Conservation of energy.
First law of thermodynamics through the Thermodynamics lens →
Formula
Energy conservation: the change in internal energy equals heat added minus work done.
\Delta U— change in internal energyQ— heat addedW— work done by the system
Source: University Physics (OpenStax)
Related ideas to explore
Concepts that look related but are not yet connected here — candidates for a connection to reason about, not established links.
This idea also appears in…
The same structure shows up in other disciplines. These are real recurrences drawn from the graph — a starting point for asking “what carries over, and what changes?”
Energy transformation35 disciplines · 46 concepts
Conservation11 disciplines · 8 concepts
Concepts
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
shares a mental model
Mental models at work here
Energy transformation
Energy is never created or destroyed; it changes from one form into another, and some is always lost as heat.
Follow the energy: where did it come from, what form is it in now, and where does it go next?
Conservation
Some quantity stays constant no matter how a system rearranges — it can move or transform but is never created or destroyed.
Track the conserved quantity like an accountant: whatever leaves here must show up there. A missing amount means you've missed a path.
- Connects 2 other ideas across 2 disciplines.
- Most of its connections are of the “Kind & structure” kind.
- It exercises 2 reusable thinking patterns.
Derived from the graph’s real structure — observations, not a score.
Sources
- Wikipedia (English & German editions) verifiedmoderate evidence
- Wikidata verifiedmoderate evidence
- University Physics (OpenStax) verifiedmoderate evidence