The utilization of energy for human purposes is a defining characteristic of industrial society. The conversion of energy from one form to another and the efficient production of mechanical work for heat energy has been studied and improved for centuries. The science of thermodynamics deals with the relationship between heat and work and is based on two fundamental laws of nature, the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The utilization of energy and the conservation of critical, nonrenewable energy resources are controlled by these laws and the technological improvements in the design of energy systems.

The First Law of Thermodynamics states the principle of conservation of energy: energy can be neither created nor destroyed by ordinary chemical or physical means, but it can be converted from one form to another. Stated another way, in a closed system, the total amount of energy is constant. An interesting...