Thermodynamics is the study of the transformation of energy. In chemistry, thermodynamics refers to the transformations of energy associated with chemical reactions.

Thermodynamics deals with quantities (e.g., energy, entropy) known as state functions. A state function is a property of a system that does not depend on pathways, only on the initial and final states.

The first law of thermodynamics states that energy is conserved; it can neither be created nor destroyed. The second law of thermodynamics states that, in a isolated system, entropy--a measure of amount of energy in a system unavailable to do work--must increase as time passes. The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a perfect crystal is zero when the temperature of the crystal is equal to absolute zero (0K). There is a fourth law called the zeroth law that states if two objects are each in thermal equilibrium with...