---
title: "Carnot Cycle Formulated"
year: 1824
country: "France"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1824/carnot-cycle"
slug: "carnot-cycle"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1824-01-01"
---

# Carnot Cycle Formulated

> Sadi Carnot's theoretical framework for heat engines established the mathematical foundation for thermodynamics and the limits of mechanical efficiency.

## Summary

A Carnot cycle is an ideal thermodynamic cycle proposed by French physicist Sadi Carnot in 1824 and expanded upon by others in the 1830s and 1840s. By Carnot's theorem, it provides an upper limit on the efficiency of any classical thermodynamic engine during the conversion of heat into work, or conversely, the efficiency of a refrigeration system in creating a temperature difference through the application of work to the system.

## Sources

- [Carnot cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle) - Wikipedia

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Canonical: https://recap.at/1824/carnot-cycle