Domin bayyana hanyoyin thermodynamic da ba za a iya canzawa ba, masana kimiyya sun tsara ka'idar thermodynamics ta biyu. Ka'idar thermodynamics ta biyu ta bayyana irin hanyoyin da za su iya faruwa a sararin samaniya da kuma irin hanyoyin da ba za su iya faruwa ba. Wani masanin kimiyya mai suna RJE Clausius (1822-1888) ya yi wannan bayani:
A dabi'ance, zafi yana tafiya daga abubuwa masu zafi zuwa abubuwa masu ƙarancin zafin jiki; a zahiri, zafi baya tafiya daga abubuwa masu ƙarancin zafin jiki zuwa abubuwa masu yawan zafin jiki (Dokar thermodynamics ta biyu - bayanin Clausius).
Bayanin Clausius yana ɗaya daga cikin maganganun musamman na dokar thermodynamics ta biyu. Ana kiransa sanarwa ta musamman saboda yana aiki ne kawai ga tsari ɗaya kawai, wanda ya shafi canja wurin zafi. Tunda wannan bayanin ba shi da alaƙa da wasu hanyoyin, muna buƙatar bayani na gaba ɗaya. Ci gaban bayanin gaba ɗaya na dokar thermodynamics ta biyu ya dogara ne akan nazarin injunan zafi. Saboda haka, muna tattauna zafin injin da farko.
Observe an object which moves vertically upwards until reaching a maximum height before moving downwards towards its initial position. When moving vertically upwards by h, the weight is opposite in direction from displacement. Thus, the weight does negative work on the object.