10 LAWS OF ENERGY 



But at high temperatures the reaction is reversible, that is, H and O 

 are formed from the water : 



tiHoO + 136-6 Calories -^ 2H2 + O^ 



Both reactions take place simultaneously, some of the water being 

 decomposed steadily and some water being formed, so that an 

 equilibrium is established between these two opposing forces : 



2H2 + Oo := 2H2O + 136-6 Calories. 



If we add either H alone or O alone to the system, the equilibrium is 

 shifted in the direction of the upper arrow so that some of the added 

 constituent undergoes combination. Similarly, if we alter another 

 of the intensity factors, say, temperature, and apply heat to the 

 reacting substances, the equilibrium is shifted in the direction of the 

 lower arrow and heat is absorbed. The principle of Le Chatelier 

 enables a prediction to be made of the direction in which a reaction 

 to a disturbance may take place. Only those predictions are valid 

 which involve changes in the intensity factors of the energy of a 

 system. 



The principle has been broadened in order to apply it to the 

 dynamic equilibrium of living things. For example, almost simul- 

 taneously with the publication of Lc Chatelier's paper, Fredericq 

 stated, " The living organism is such that each disturbing influence 

 produces in the organism itself a compensatory reaction which 

 tends to neutralise the disturbance and restore the equilibrium." 

 Now Le Chatelier postulated that the systems to which his principle 

 applied were to be in stable equilibriimi, and so one cannot justly 

 apply his name to Fredericq's interesting hypothesis. 



Inertia. 



The second law of energetics lends itself to the deduction that 

 the cause of all action (change) is the tendency of energy to attain 

 the same uniform degree of intensity as that of its environment. 

 Further, the degradation of energy follows the line of least 

 resistance. This is known as the " Law of Least Action." It is a 

 law common to all sciences, and is considered by some to be a 

 universal principle. Physicists tell us that bodies remain in a state 

 of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line imless energy be 

 imparted to them to overcome their inertia. Inertia is the 

 resistance to change possessed by everything, living and non-living. 



One may take a step further and qualify the law by stating 

 that the nature of the change induced by an alteration in any 

 factor which influences the system will depend on what wull, in 

 the circumstances, give relief from strain with the least possible 

 expenditure of energy. This law was stated by Bert helot in a 



