written by
Abigail R. Daane, Stamatis Vokos, and Rachel E. Scherr
The second law of thermodynamics is typically not a central focus either in introductory university physics textbooks or in national standards for secondary education. However, the second law is a key part of a strong conceptual model of energy, especially for connecting energy conservation to energy degradation and the irreversibility of processes. We present the beginnings of a conceptual model of the second law as it relates to energy, with the aim of creating models and representations that link energy degradation, the second law, and entropy in a meaningful way for learners analyzing real-life energy scenarios. Our goal is to develop tools for use with elementary and secondary teachers and secondary and university students.
Published January 24, 2013
Last Modified June 20, 2013