I hope that this week you have learnt we can define a thermodynamic system as a quantity of matter which can exchange energy with its environment as well as absorb and release energy. We can design systems that release energy in forms that are useful to us and it is especially convenient if these operate in cycles so that useful energy, that is the capacity to do work, is repeatedly released.

See the Key Relationships PDF at the bottom of the page to reflect on what you have covered this week

What next?

Next week, we will look at how we can utilise energy flows into and out of a system in the form of heat and fluid flow.