GS-2. Equivalence principle. Equivalence exists between consumed mechanical energy
and produced heat, and extracted heat and produced mechanical energy.
On interconvertibility. From his own statement of “Considering…heat is not a
substance, but a dynamical form of mechanical effect, we perceive that there must
be an equivalence between mechanical work and heat, as between cause and
effect…,” [32], pp. 174–200], as well as his biographers [33], Thomson thought that
universal interconvertibility followed necessarily from the ontological doctrine that
heat is a form of energy. That inference was never established on solid ground.
From the very beginning, a referee of Joule’s 1850 paper pointed out, correctly, that
universal interconvertibility did not follow from the MEH (cited in [34]). Equating
equivalence correlation with causality by Joule, Thomson, and Clausius was a
classic error. It is an error that has been made by many in different contexts because,
while causation may exist behind correlation, the details of causation or true sources
of causation are multifold and a simple presumption of equating of two can be
wrong. The above worded GS-2 clarifies that equivalence between extracted heat
and produced mechanical energy does not mean that heat causes mechanical
energy. Causation lies elsewhere. The PETH, by identifying universal causation in
EGP, rejects the interconvertibility principle.
On energy conversion doctrine. Energy conversion doctrine is based on the
universality claim of the energy principle—or, entropy growth is exhausted by the
spontaneous dissipation of high-grade energy. The energy principle, however, was
proposed as a self-evident principle, without a solid ground (Uffink characterized it
as “the unargued statements of Kelvin” [35]). The principle’s claim of universality
being false was pointed by Planck as cited in Sect. 5.10 as well as elaborated in the
Section. PETH rejects “GC of Kelvin” and replaces energy conversion doctrine
with amended GS-4
Amended GS-4. Entropy growth potential (EGP) is the universal driver of changes in
nature; changes in nature can be classified into two kinds: natural energy conversion or pure
spontaneous entropy growth, and processes involving changes in reverse direction.
Clarification of changes in nature will be discussed below dealing with the next two
General Statements.
On spontaneous energy conversion. Conversion of mechanical work into heat
is spontaneous and, in such spontaneous energy conversion processes, entropy
growth is realized and entropy growth potential is consumed. We can understand
such a process in a dyadic framework. Spontaneity, i.e., EGP, of such processes is
in fact the driver of all processes (see below) except to note that spontaneity can
also exist in pure EGP form (see Sects. 5.10 and 8.4) in which EGP is derived from
natural tendency in initial state ! final state with no change in form of system
energy. General Statement GS-4.a remains unchanged
GS-4.a. Spontaneous energy conversion. Natural energy conversions and pure EGP
driven changes are spontaneous and limitless.
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8 The Second Law: The Entropy Growth Potential Principle …
and produced heat, and extracted heat and produced mechanical energy.
On interconvertibility. From his own statement of “Considering…heat is not a
substance, but a dynamical form of mechanical effect, we perceive that there must
be an equivalence between mechanical work and heat, as between cause and
effect…,” [32], pp. 174–200], as well as his biographers [33], Thomson thought that
universal interconvertibility followed necessarily from the ontological doctrine that
heat is a form of energy. That inference was never established on solid ground.
From the very beginning, a referee of Joule’s 1850 paper pointed out, correctly, that
universal interconvertibility did not follow from the MEH (cited in [34]). Equating
equivalence correlation with causality by Joule, Thomson, and Clausius was a
classic error. It is an error that has been made by many in different contexts because,
while causation may exist behind correlation, the details of causation or true sources
of causation are multifold and a simple presumption of equating of two can be
wrong. The above worded GS-2 clarifies that equivalence between extracted heat
and produced mechanical energy does not mean that heat causes mechanical
energy. Causation lies elsewhere. The PETH, by identifying universal causation in
EGP, rejects the interconvertibility principle.
On energy conversion doctrine. Energy conversion doctrine is based on the
universality claim of the energy principle—or, entropy growth is exhausted by the
spontaneous dissipation of high-grade energy. The energy principle, however, was
proposed as a self-evident principle, without a solid ground (Uffink characterized it
as “the unargued statements of Kelvin” [35]). The principle’s claim of universality
being false was pointed by Planck as cited in Sect. 5.10 as well as elaborated in the
Section. PETH rejects “GC of Kelvin” and replaces energy conversion doctrine
with amended GS-4
Amended GS-4. Entropy growth potential (EGP) is the universal driver of changes in
nature; changes in nature can be classified into two kinds: natural energy conversion or pure
spontaneous entropy growth, and processes involving changes in reverse direction.
Clarification of changes in nature will be discussed below dealing with the next two
General Statements.
On spontaneous energy conversion. Conversion of mechanical work into heat
is spontaneous and, in such spontaneous energy conversion processes, entropy
growth is realized and entropy growth potential is consumed. We can understand
such a process in a dyadic framework. Spontaneity, i.e., EGP, of such processes is
in fact the driver of all processes (see below) except to note that spontaneity can
also exist in pure EGP form (see Sects. 5.10 and 8.4) in which EGP is derived from
natural tendency in initial state ! final state with no change in form of system
energy. General Statement GS-4.a remains unchanged
GS-4.a. Spontaneous energy conversion. Natural energy conversions and pure EGP
driven changes are spontaneous and limitless.
216
8 The Second Law: The Entropy Growth Potential Principle …