ENERGY 15 



inorganic compounds have relatively small amounts of chemical energy, 

 while organic compounds, on the other hand, usually have large amounts. 

 When a compound is resolved into its component atoms, the chemical 

 energy reappears as kinetic energy. This is the source of the charges 

 carried by the ions in an ionized solution. Because of their greater 

 complexity, a greater amount of kinetic energy can be produced in an 

 animal body by the disintegration of organic compounds than by that of 

 inorganic compounds. This kinetic energy may appear in various forms, 

 as movement, light, heat, and electricity. 



23. Laws of Thermodynamics. — Thermodynamics is a part of physics 

 which deals with energy transformations. Two laws have long been con- 

 sidered fundamental in this field: One is that of the conservation of energy, 

 which states that the sum total of energy in this universe is the same at all 

 times, being neither created nor destroyed but simply changed from one 

 form to another. The other is the law of entropy, which states that energy 

 tends to accumulate in potential form, or, in simpler language, that every- 

 thing tends to run down. Associated with these is the law of conserva- 

 tion of mass, which states that matter in this universe is neither created 

 nor destroyed but is simply transferred from one place to another or 

 changed in character. 



