Which law states the total energy of an isolated system remains constant?

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Multiple Choice

Which law states the total energy of an isolated system remains constant?

Energy conservation in isolated systems is the key idea. In an isolated system, no energy crosses the boundary, so the total energy remains constant even as energy shifts between forms like chemical, kinetic, or heat. This principle is captured by the First Law of Thermodynamics, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. The total amount stays the same. The other options are processes or principles that don’t express a universal energy-conservation rule: the Second Law of Thermodynamics deals with entropy and the direction of energy transformations; photosynthesis and cellular respiration are biological processes that involve energy changes but do not state a universal conservation law.

Energy conservation in isolated systems is the key idea. In an isolated system, no energy crosses the boundary, so the total energy remains constant even as energy shifts between forms like chemical, kinetic, or heat. This principle is captured by the First Law of Thermodynamics, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. The total amount stays the same. The other options are processes or principles that don’t express a universal energy-conservation rule: the Second Law of Thermodynamics deals with entropy and the direction of energy transformations; photosynthesis and cellular respiration are biological processes that involve energy changes but do not state a universal conservation law.

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