Is an electric current that flows through a tungsten wire in a light bulb creating a glow an example of the 1st or 2nd law of thermodynamics?

Answer 1

It really shows both but the relationship to the 1st law is a lot more obvious.

The light coming from the glowing wire is an example of energy. By the first law, that energy must have come from somewhere - in this case the electricity passing through the wire with some of that energy being converted to light. As soon as you quit supplying power to it, the wire will cool down and quit glowing - no energy input in the form of electricity means no output of energy in the form of light (and heat).

The wire glows because it is getting hot. The second law dictates that as the energy moves through the wire, some of it will be dissipated in the form of heat. This relates to the 2nd law. The reasons why it has to dissipate as heat go into electron orbitals, inter-molecular forces and a bit of quantum physics which are outside the scope of this answer.

Answer 2

This is an example of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. The law states that energy will always tend to disperse or spread out, resulting in an increase in entropy. In the case of the light bulb, electrical energy is converted into heat and light, which represents an increase in entropy.