Which of the following statements is true regarding the laws of thermodynamics?

The first law of thermodynamics, often referred to as the law of energy conservation, indeed states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another. This principle implies that within a closed system, the total energy remains constant. When energy is added to a system, it can manifest as kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal energy, etc., but the overall energy before and after any process remains the same.

Understanding the first law as a foundational principle is crucial, as it governs all thermodynamic processes and allows us to analyze energy exchanges in physical systems. The other concepts within the context of thermodynamics serve to build on this fundamental idea, delineating the behaviors and constraints of energy as it moves through different forms.