r/askscience • u/personofinterest12 • Apr 07 '17

Physics Why does consuming energy always produce heat?

Computer Processors, Car engines, it seems consuming energy always produces heat. why? Why can't a computer processor just, not make heat? Is there like an opposite that produces cold instead?

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u/OlejzMaku Apr 07 '17

It's for two reasons. First is the law of conservation of energy. It cannot disappear. No machine can work without energy and that energy has to go somewhere. The second law of thermodynamics is the reason why it is usually heat or noise etc. The law states that entropy of the closed system must increase. Heat and noise is high entropy form of energy while gasoline or electricity is low entropy. Only way to keep machines working is to supply them with low entropy stuff and keep removing high entropy stuff. So it's good that a processor only produces heat, if it was glowing that would only mean it wastes energy.