15.12

The Third Law of Thermodynamics

To the zeroth, first, and second laws of thermodynamics we add the third (and last) law. The third law of thermodynamics indicates that it is impossible to reach a temperature of absolute zero.

| The Third Law of Thermodynamics
| It is not possible to lower the temperature of any system to absolute zero () in a finite number of steps.

This law, like the second law, can be expressed in a number of ways, but a discussion of them is beyond the scope of this text. The third law is needed to explain a number of experimental observations that cannot be explained by the other laws of thermodynamics.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.