Who invented entropy? |
Two versions of the second law of thermodynamics were proposed in the middle of the nineteenth century: One version, by William Thomson, says "One cannot convert a quantity of heat completely into work without wasting some of this heat at a lower temperature." The other version, by Rudolf Clausius, says "One cannot transfer heat from a cold object to a hot object without using work to make the transfer." Both statements are statements of impotence. They are statements about the limitations on what we can do in the real world. Either can be shown to follow, if the other is assumed first. |