The entropy change is unknown (but likely not zero), because there are equal numbers of molecules on both sides of the equation, and all are gases. (How this plays out at the scale of the entire universe is beyond my experience.\left( g \right)\) Alice: Entropy is a measure of the number of possibilities. As time goes by, it likely will become more disordered and thus its entropy will increase (see figure below). The entropy of a room that has been recently cleaned and organized is low. Entropy is an easy concept to understand when thinking about everyday situations. Bob: Hey Alice, what is the definition of entropy And what does it have to do with physics. Entropy is a measure of the degree of randomness or disorder of a system. Since the galaxy is made of stars, I guess you could say "the entropy reversing mechanism would be within galaxies". What does entropy mean And why does it never decreaseAnd what does it have to do with disorder or orderEntropy is simply explained to you here. So yes, entropy can occur at the nuclear scale, in a star. At the same time, I give your friend a single bag containing one kg of rice mixed with one kg of sugar. So the local decrease in entropy of life on Earth (or sorting a bag of rice) is far exceeded by the increase in entropy of the Sun. Answer (1 of 2): Entropy is a measure of disorder - thats the simplest explanation that I like Suppose I give you one kg of rice in one bag and one kg of sugar in another. Fortunately, unlike thermodynamic systems, a business can reverse the impact of entropy. Without the necessary effort, a business will reach the point of maximum entropy: bankruptcy. Anything less will mean almost inevitable problems and loss of potential revenue. By the time you have iron nuclei, you can't get any more energy out of them by fusion. Entropy, a measure of disorder, explains why life seems to get more, not less. Other energy is lost in that if you try to fuse two Helium nuclei into a Beryllium nucleus, you don't release nearly as much energy. But in the process, access to that energy is lost - some is lost in the form of neutrinos, which fly away into space. The Sun gets its energy from nuclear fusion - turning hydrogen into helium, producing energy. But it does this by consuming energy from external source - usually light from the Sun, if you trace it back far enough. Entropy is generated when the heat transfer is irreversible, i.e., when it occurs over a finite temperature difference. In the case of the Earth, you could say the life is in the business of decreasing its own entropy. However, this energy must come from some source considered as a whole system, the entropy increases over a long time, even though some parts of it decrease (temporarily and locally). It is possible to reverse entropy on a local scale (like a bag of dropped rice, or life on the planet Earth) by applying additional energy from outside the system. If JP's painting turned out exactly as he had planned in his mind, then the entropy could be said to be minimal. I guess it would, only with different statistics. I think you're getting defensive about the tidiness of you desk drawer.ĭunno whether thermodynamics can be applied to nuclear situations. Look at a book on statistical thermodynamics it's part of the explanation of these things. Both actions would require energy to achieve, and wouldn't occur by chance (V. The reconstructed pattern would have just as much information introduced (order) to it as if you lined them up into regular rows. Separating the fast molecules from the slow molecules (go on - try) would be the equivalent of re-sorting out your grains. Spilling rice is, essentially, increasing entropy because getting them back in the jar would involve energy being put in. (communication theory) a numerical measure of the uncertainty of an outcome. When molecules of a hot gas mix with molecules of a cold gas, the overall entropy has increased you've mixed things up. Dictionary entry overview: What does entropy mean ENTROPY (noun) The noun ENTROPY has 2 senses: 1. (Statistics isn't subjective and entropy applies to information).Īctually, that's precisely what's going on.
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