Subtitle:
Ruminations on the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Images:
[![][1]][2]
[![][3]][2]
Why can't you put a cup of cold coffee on the table, wait a moment, and then enjoy a nice cup of hot coffee? We do the opposite all the time, but what makes the direction of hot-to-cold so special? If you've studied physics or taken a class in building science, you've heard that the answer is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. But what does that really mean?
[1]: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog-river/smoke-heat-flow-second-law-of-thermodynamics.jpg (Smoke rising)
[2]: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/building-science/why-doesn-t-heat-flow-backwards
[3]: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog-river/broken-egg-arrow-of-time-second-law-of-thermodynamics.jpg (Broken egg and the Arrow of Time)
URL: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/building-science/why-doesn-t-heat-flow-backwards
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