What decreases the entropy?
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Oliver Parker
Works at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Lives in Vienna, Austria.
As an expert in the field of thermodynamics and statistical physics, I can provide a detailed explanation on how entropy can decrease in certain scenarios, while adhering to the principles of the second law of thermodynamics.
Step 1: English Explanation
Entropy, often denoted as \( S \), is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics that describes the degree of disorder or randomness in a system. The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time; it can only increase or remain constant. However, this does not mean that entropy cannot decrease in a localized region or subsystem. The key here is the concept of an open system, which can exchange energy and matter with its surroundings.
When we talk about entropy decreasing, we are typically referring to an open system that is not isolated. In such a system, entropy can decrease as a result of interactions with another system, provided that the overall entropy of the combined system increases. This is in line with the second law of thermodynamics, which can be stated as the principle of entropy increase for an isolated system.
Let's consider the example of water freezing. When water cools down and turns into ice, its entropy decreases because the molecules become more ordered in the solid state compared to the liquid state. However, this process is not occurring in an isolated system. The water is releasing heat to its surroundings, and this heat transfer increases the entropy of the surrounding environment. The total entropy of the universe (the system plus the surroundings) is still increasing, satisfying the second law.
Another example is the process of work being done on a system. If you compress a gas, the entropy of the gas decreases because the gas molecules are forced into a smaller volume, reducing their disorder. But this work is done at the expense of the external system (e.g., a piston), which increases its entropy, again ensuring that the total entropy of the universe increases.
In summary, entropy can decrease in an open system through the following mechanisms:
1. Heat Transfer: When a system releases heat to its surroundings, its entropy can decrease while the entropy of the surroundings increases.
2. Work Done on the System: When work is done on a system, such as compressing a gas, the system's entropy can decrease, but the entropy of the external system performing the work increases.
3. Phase Changes: During phase changes, such as water freezing, the entropy of the water decreases, but the entropy of the environment increases due to heat transfer.
It's important to note that the decrease in entropy is always compensated by an increase in entropy elsewhere, ensuring that the total entropy of the universe increases, as required by the second law of thermodynamics.
Step 2: Divider
Step 1: English Explanation
Entropy, often denoted as \( S \), is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics that describes the degree of disorder or randomness in a system. The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time; it can only increase or remain constant. However, this does not mean that entropy cannot decrease in a localized region or subsystem. The key here is the concept of an open system, which can exchange energy and matter with its surroundings.
When we talk about entropy decreasing, we are typically referring to an open system that is not isolated. In such a system, entropy can decrease as a result of interactions with another system, provided that the overall entropy of the combined system increases. This is in line with the second law of thermodynamics, which can be stated as the principle of entropy increase for an isolated system.
Let's consider the example of water freezing. When water cools down and turns into ice, its entropy decreases because the molecules become more ordered in the solid state compared to the liquid state. However, this process is not occurring in an isolated system. The water is releasing heat to its surroundings, and this heat transfer increases the entropy of the surrounding environment. The total entropy of the universe (the system plus the surroundings) is still increasing, satisfying the second law.
Another example is the process of work being done on a system. If you compress a gas, the entropy of the gas decreases because the gas molecules are forced into a smaller volume, reducing their disorder. But this work is done at the expense of the external system (e.g., a piston), which increases its entropy, again ensuring that the total entropy of the universe increases.
In summary, entropy can decrease in an open system through the following mechanisms:
1. Heat Transfer: When a system releases heat to its surroundings, its entropy can decrease while the entropy of the surroundings increases.
2. Work Done on the System: When work is done on a system, such as compressing a gas, the system's entropy can decrease, but the entropy of the external system performing the work increases.
3. Phase Changes: During phase changes, such as water freezing, the entropy of the water decreases, but the entropy of the environment increases due to heat transfer.
It's important to note that the decrease in entropy is always compensated by an increase in entropy elsewhere, ensuring that the total entropy of the universe increases, as required by the second law of thermodynamics.
Step 2: Divider
2024-05-10 13:13:01
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Studied at University of Oxford, Lives in Oxford, UK
When water freezes its entropy decreases. This does not violate the second law of thermodynamics. ... Entropy can decrease somewhere, provided it increases somewhere else by at least as much. The entropy of a system decreases only when it interacts with some other system whose entropy increases in the process.
2023-06-12 03:12:03
Julian Kim
QuesHub.com delivers expert answers and knowledge to you.
When water freezes its entropy decreases. This does not violate the second law of thermodynamics. ... Entropy can decrease somewhere, provided it increases somewhere else by at least as much. The entropy of a system decreases only when it interacts with some other system whose entropy increases in the process.
