Is negative entropy spontaneous?
I'll answer
Earn 20 gold coins for an accepted answer.20
Earn 20 gold coins for an accepted answer.
40more
40more
Amelia Phillips
Studied at the University of São Paulo, Lives in São Paulo, Brazil.
As a thermodynamics expert, I'm often asked about the nature of entropy and its relationship to spontaneous processes. Entropy, as you may know, is a measure of the randomness or disorder in a system. The concept is central to our understanding of the second law of thermodynamics, which is one of the fundamental laws governing the behavior of energy in the universe.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics is often interpreted to mean that systems tend to move from a state of order to a state of disorder, and this is quantified by the change in entropy (\(\Delta S\)). For any spontaneous process, the overall entropy change of the system and its surroundings must be greater than or equal to zero (\(\Delta S_{total} \geq 0\)). This is a statement about the direction of natural processes and the increase of entropy over time.
However, the statement you provided seems to contain a misconception. It suggests that spontaneous chemical reactions can result in a negative change in entropy (\(\Delta S < 0\)), which would imply a decrease in disorder. This is not accurate in the context of the isolated system, where the entropy of the system itself must not decrease for a process to be spontaneous.
What can occur, and what might be the source of confusion, is that in an open system (one that can exchange energy and matter with its surroundings), a spontaneous process can lead to a local decrease in entropy. This happens when the system exports a greater amount of entropy to its surroundings than it decreases internally. The key point here is that the total entropy change, considering both the system and its surroundings, is still positive.
For instance, consider a simple example of a solute diffusing into a solvent to form a solution. At the molecular level, the solute particles spread out, increasing the randomness of the system, which is an increase in entropy. But this process is spontaneous because it's accompanied by an increase in the entropy of the surroundings that is greater than the increase within the system.
In summary, while it is true that the entropy of a system can decrease due to a spontaneous process, this is only possible if the total entropy change, including the system and its surroundings, is positive. The concept of negative entropy being spontaneous is not correct for an isolated system. Instead, it's the total entropy change that must be considered when discussing the spontaneity of a process.
Now, let's proceed with the translation into Chinese.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics is often interpreted to mean that systems tend to move from a state of order to a state of disorder, and this is quantified by the change in entropy (\(\Delta S\)). For any spontaneous process, the overall entropy change of the system and its surroundings must be greater than or equal to zero (\(\Delta S_{total} \geq 0\)). This is a statement about the direction of natural processes and the increase of entropy over time.
However, the statement you provided seems to contain a misconception. It suggests that spontaneous chemical reactions can result in a negative change in entropy (\(\Delta S < 0\)), which would imply a decrease in disorder. This is not accurate in the context of the isolated system, where the entropy of the system itself must not decrease for a process to be spontaneous.
What can occur, and what might be the source of confusion, is that in an open system (one that can exchange energy and matter with its surroundings), a spontaneous process can lead to a local decrease in entropy. This happens when the system exports a greater amount of entropy to its surroundings than it decreases internally. The key point here is that the total entropy change, considering both the system and its surroundings, is still positive.
For instance, consider a simple example of a solute diffusing into a solvent to form a solution. At the molecular level, the solute particles spread out, increasing the randomness of the system, which is an increase in entropy. But this process is spontaneous because it's accompanied by an increase in the entropy of the surroundings that is greater than the increase within the system.
In summary, while it is true that the entropy of a system can decrease due to a spontaneous process, this is only possible if the total entropy change, including the system and its surroundings, is positive. The concept of negative entropy being spontaneous is not correct for an isolated system. Instead, it's the total entropy change that must be considered when discussing the spontaneity of a process.
Now, let's proceed with the translation into Chinese.
2024-05-11 21:38:11
reply(1)
Helpful(1122)
Helpful
Helpful(2)
Works at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Lives in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics. The second law of thermodynamics states that for any spontaneous process, the overall --S must be greater than or equal to zero; yet, spontaneous chemical reactions can result in a negative change in entropy.
2023-06-19 03:11:55
William Hernandez
QuesHub.com delivers expert answers and knowledge to you.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics. The second law of thermodynamics states that for any spontaneous process, the overall --S must be greater than or equal to zero; yet, spontaneous chemical reactions can result in a negative change in entropy.
