Article synthesis
The law of conservation of energy is part of the conservation laws that form the core of many, if not all, natural sciences. Even though there are various other laws, the concepts in Physics mainly depend on the concept presented in the law of conservation of energy.
This idea came along in the 17th century and has been hotly debated since then. This article is in relation to the course of natural sciences since it involves many of the concepts that are based on this course. It will also show the various contradictions in the law of conservation of energy.
Article’s significance
One of the major contributions of the article is a discussion on the various contradictions that the law of conservation of energy has. Although the law has been used for very many years, there are several contradictions that are yet to be addressed. The article will present the argument that energy can neither be created, nor destroyed as contradictory. It will also present the argument that the universe cannot create energy as contradictory.
How the article has enhanced my knowledge
The law of conservation of energy, also known as the 1st law of thermodynamics, posits that energy cannot be created, nor can it be destroyed. This means that energy exists on its own, according to Crowell (2005). The theory suggests that even though energy can be changed from one form to another, it cannot be destroyed during the process.
A new form of energy cannot also be created during the process. It introduces the argument that even though energy can change form, the measurement remains the same. This argument is, however, very contradictory. One of the contradictions that the argument presents is the fact that energy is just there. Nothing can cause it and nothing can destroy it. However, looking at other courses that try to explain the origin of the earth in a scientific way, the argument presented is that of the big bang theory.
The big bang theory proposes that small particles that were in the universe bombarded together and eventually created the planets. The energy that caused this bombarding is very different from that which held the particles together. It is also very different from the energy that is used to suspend these planets on the universe. Therefore, the big bang theory as a scientific theory contradicts with the law of conservation of energy. This shows that energy can change and, at times, it will gain or lose some units.
The second contradiction that is presented in the law of conservation of energy theory is that the universe cannot and does not create energy. The contradiction in this statement comes out due to the fact that there is energy in every part of the universe. The energy might be of different forms, but it still exists all the same.
This energy, therefore, has to come from somewhere. Going with this argument, the energy had to come from somewhere supernatural if it did not come from somewhere physical. This heats up the debate on the relationship between science and religion.
The difference in the forms of energy can be emphasized using the system of measurements of energy. There are two main systems. These are the metric system of measurement and the standard system of measurement. Many of the countries in the world today use the metric system of measurement. However, the US has had quite a challenge adapting to this system of measurement. There are several advantages and disadvantages that affect the use of the metric system of measurement in the US.
One such advantage is the fact that other countries use this system. This makes international coordination between various fields that employ mathematics easier. The terminologies that the metric system of measurement uses are also very simple for students compared to those presented in other systems of measurements. Another advantage of the system is that it is easy to use and convert from one unit to the other.
In spite of the fact that there are very many advantages that the US will get if it uses the metric system of measures, there are a few disadvantages that it might also face. One major disadvantage is the fact that the metric system, unlike the standard system that is common in the US, does not use fractions. Instead, the US uses decimal points. Apart from this, the constant use of different jargons in this system can cause a lot of confusion.
Important questions
The discussion presented in this article has given me a new perspective on the concept of the law of conservation of energy. The law is still lacking, even though most of the natural sciences use these laws to form their core. The law does not explain some fundamental issues. It also contradicts itself on various occasions.
The core concept of the course book used in class and authored by Tillery, Enger and Ross (2011) is that, “Energy is transformed through working or heating, and the total amount remains constant” (p. 65). From the discussion presented, this concept is lacking in some aspects. The concepts that the authors present are, therefore, not resolved.
References
Crowell, B. (2005). Conservation laws. Fullerton, CA: Light and Matter.
Tillery, B. W., Enger, E. D., & Ross, F. C. (2011). Integrated science, 5th edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.