Practice question · Multiple choice
Why are the Kelvin-Planck and Clausius statements of the second law equivalent?
Hints
- Equivalence is proved by construction, not by resemblance.
- Couple a hypothetical Kelvin-Planck violator to an ordinary refrigerator and see what the pair achieves.
Show the answer
B. A violation of either can be used to construct a violation of the other
Why
Couple a Kelvin-Planck violator to a normal refrigerator: the combination moves heat from cold to hot with no net work, violating Clausius. The reverse construction works too, so neither statement is weaker.
Practise The Second Law and Entropy
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