First law of thermodynamics, thermodynamic relation stating that, within an isolated system, the total energy of the system is constant, even if energy has been converted from one form to another. This law is another way of stating the law of conservation of energy., Solve for the unknowns by combining the first law of thermodynamics with the ideal gas law, thermodynamic tables, and other physical laws as appropriate. The following examples demonstrate how to apply the first law of thermodynamics to closed systems., Esys = Ef - Ei. The First Law Of Thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics can be captured in the following equation, which states that the energy of the universe is constant. Energy can be transferred from the system to its surroundings, or vice versa, but it can't be created or destroyed., The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can be converted from one form to another with the interaction of heat, work and internal energy, but it cannot be created nor destroyed, under any circumstances. Mathematically, this is represented as. ΔU = q + w (1) (1) Δ U = q + w. with. w w is the work done by or on the system., The internal energy difference between the two systems is equal to heat transfer into the system minus work done by the system. According to the First Law of Thermodynamics, the universe's energy does not change. It can be transferred between the system and the surroundings, but it cannot be produced or destroyed., The First Law of Thermodynamics is referred to as the Conservation of Energy principle, meaning that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but rather transformed into various forms as the fluid within the control volume is being studied..