How does the law of conservation of energy differ from the second law of thermodynamics?

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. In contrast, the second law of thermodynamics introduces the concept of entropy, stating that in any energy transfer or transformation, the total entropy of a closed system will either increase or remain constant, leading to a natural tendency for systems to move towards disorder. Essentially, while conservation focuses on the quantity of energy, the second law addresses the quality and direction of energy transformations.