Name: thermal equilibrium and the zeroth law
Uploaded: 2025-05-22T09:05:48.000Z
Duration: 1 min 14 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

Louisiana Student Standards for Science

High School

Chemistry

Energy

HS-PS3-4

Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics

La ley cero de la termodinámica establece que si dos cuerpos cualesquiera están en equilibrio térmico con un tercer cuerpo, también están en equilibrio térmico entre sí.
Para entender esto experimentalmente, considere tres vasos de precipitados llenos de agua a tres temperaturas diferentes.
Después de conectar el vaso de precipitados A con B y el vaso B con C, se realizará la transferencia de calor.
Después de un período de tiempo, el agua del vaso de precipitados A alcanza el equilibrio térmico con el agua del vaso B, y el agua del vaso B alcanza el equilibrio con el agua del vaso C.
Al registrar la temperatura de los vasos de precipitados, se observa una temperatura uniforme en los tres vasos de precipitados, lo que corresponde a la ley cero de la termodinámica.
La aplicación más significativa de la ley cero de la termodinámica son los diferentes tipos de termómetros.
Cuando se utiliza un termómetro para medir la temperatura de un cuerpo, alcanza el equilibrio térmico cambiando su propia temperatura.
Por lo tanto, la temperatura medida del cuerpo es en realidad la temperatura del termómetro.

<ol>
	<li>OpenStax. (2019). Física Universitaria Vol. 2. [Versión web]. Obtenido de <a href="https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-2/pages/1-1-temperature-and-thermal-equilibrium">https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-2/pages/1-1-temperature-and-thermal-equilibrium</a></li>
</ol>

ley cero de la termodinámica

Experimentalmente, si el objeto A está en equilibrio con el objeto B y el objeto B esta en equilibrio con el objeto C, entonces el objeto A está en equilibrio con el objeto C. Esa declaración de transitividad se llama "ley cero de la termodinámica". Por ejemplo, un bloque de metal frío y un bloque de metal caliente se colocan sobre una placa de metal a temperatura ambiente. Finalmente, el bloque frío y la placa estarán en equilibrio térmico. Además, el bloque caliente y la placa estarán en equilibrio térmico. Por la ley cero, podemos concluir que el bloque frío y el bloque caliente también están en equilibrio térmico. El físico británico Ralph Fowler sugirió el número "cero" en la década de 1930. En aquella época, la primera, segunda y tercera leyes de la termodinámica ya estaban nombradas y numeradas. La ley cero rara vez se había enunciado, pero era necesario discutirla antes que los demás, por lo que Fowler le dio un número menor. Considere ahora el caso en el que A es un termómetro. La ley cero nos dice que si A lee una cierta temperatura cuando está en equilibrio con B, y luego se pone en contacto con C, no intercambiará energía con C; por lo tanto, su lectura de temperatura seguirá siendo la misma. En otras palabras, si dos objetos están en equilibrio térmico, tienen la misma temperatura.

Ley cero de la termodinámica

Experimentalmente, si el objeto A está en equilibrio con el objeto B, y el objeto B está en equilibrio con el objeto C, entonces el objeto A está en equilibrio con el objeto C.

Education

Educación

JoVE Core

Physics

Física

Unit 1

Unidad 1

Temperature and Heat

Temperatura y calor

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

TÉRMINOS Y CONCEPTOS CLAVE

thermal equilibrium and the zeroth law

The zeroth law of thermodynamics explains thermal equilibrium between objects. If object A is in equilibrium with object B, and object B is in equilibrium with object C, then object A is also in equilibrium with object C. This transitive relationship is the key idea behind the law.

A simple example uses metal blocks and a metal plate at room temperature. A cold metal block and a hot metal block are both placed on the plate. Over time, the cold block and the plate reach thermal equilibrium, and the hot block and the plate do too. By the zeroth law, the cold block and the hot block are then also in thermal equilibrium.

The law also helps explain how thermometers work. If a thermometer is in equilibrium with one object and then placed in contact with another object, it will not exchange energy with that object if their temperatures match. Its reading stays the same. In other words, two objects in thermal equilibrium have the same temperature.

The name zeroth law was suggested by British physicist Ralph Fowler in the 1930s. By then, the first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics had already been named. The zeroth law was less often stated, but it had to be discussed before the others, so Fowler gave it the smaller number.

Thermal Equilibrium and the Zeroth Law

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zeroth law of thermodynamics

The zeroth law of thermodynamics explains thermal equilibrium between objects. If object A is in equilibrium with object B, and object B is in equilibrium with object C, then object A is also in equilibrium with object C. This transitive relationship is the key idea behind the law. A simple example uses metal blocks and a metal plate at room temperature. A cold metal block and a hot metal block are both placed on the plate. Over time, the cold block and the plate reach thermal equilibrium, and...

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key terms and concepts

Learn how the zeroth law of thermodynamics shows that objects in thermal equilibrium have the same temperature and why this matters for thermometers.

Thermal Equilibrium and the Zeroth Law | JoVE K12

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HS-PS3-6

Thermal Equilibrium and the Zeroth Law

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