The laws of thermodynamics are fundamental principles that describe how energy behaves in physical systems. The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. This means that the total energy in a closed system remains constant, although it can change forms, such as from kinetic energy to thermal energy. The second law introduces the concept of entropy, which measures the disorder in a system. It states that in any energy transfer, the total entropy of a closed system will either increase or remain the same, indicating that energy tends to disperse and systems naturally progress towards a state of greater disorder over time.