Hawking radiation as tunneling and the unified first law of thermodynamics at the apparent horizon of the FRW universe

Relations between the tunneling rate and the unified first law of thermodynamics at the apparent horizon of the FRW universe are investigated. The tunneling rate arises as a consequence of the unified first law of thermodynamics in such a dynamical system. Analysis shows how the tunneling is intimately connected with the unified first law of thermodynamics through the principle of conservation of energy.