No, the first law of thermodynamics is not applicable to irreversible processes. The first law of thermodynamics is based on the principle of conservation of energy, which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but can only be transferred or transformed from one form to another. This law is valid for closed systems, which are systems that do not exchange energy with their surroundings.

Irreversible processes are processes in which there is a net increase in entropy. Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system. In irreversible processes, the entropy of the system increases, which means that energy is being transferred from a more ordered form to a more disordered form. This process is not reversible, meaning that it cannot be reversed without doing additional work.

The second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a closed system always increases over time. This law is applicable to both reversible and irreversible processes. In reversible processes, the entropy of the system does not change, while in irreversible processes, the entropy of the system increases.

Therefore, the first law of thermodynamics is not applicable to irreversible processes because it does not take into account the increase in entropy that occurs in these processes.