According to the 2nd law of thermodynamics.
A-Every time energy changes form, some of it is lost to the environment.
B-Energy cannot be created or destroyed
According to the 2nd law of thermodynamics, option B is correct: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can change form. This principle is known as the law of conservation of energy.
To understand how to arrive at this answer, it is helpful to know the basic concept of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. The 2nd law is concerned with the direction of energy flow and the concept of entropy. Entropy refers to the measure of the disorder or randomness in a system.
An easy way to remember the 2nd law is through two statements:
1. "Heat doesn't flow from a colder body to a hotter body."
2. "Entropy of an isolated system tends to increase over time."
Statement 1 explains the flow of heat energy. Heat naturally flows from a hotter object to a cooler object, and not in the opposite direction. For example, a cup of hot coffee will gradually cool down to the temperature of the room it is in.
Statement 2 is related to the concept of entropy. In a closed system, which is isolated from the surroundings, the overall entropy tends to increase over time. This means that the disorder or randomness in the system increases as time progresses.
Based on these statements, we can conclude that energy cannot be created or destroyed (option B). While energy can change form, such as from potential energy to kinetic energy, or from chemical energy to thermal energy, the total amount of energy in a closed system remains constant.
It is important to note that while energy cannot be destroyed, it can be dissipated or lost to the environment (option A). This happens due to factors like inefficiencies in energy conversion processes or energy transfer to the surroundings in the form of waste heat.
In summary, the 2nd law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed (option B), but it can change form, and some of it may be lost to the environment (option A).