All Flashcards
What are the differences between open and closed systems regarding entropy?
Closed System: Entropy always increases over time. Open System: Entropy can decrease locally, but the total entropy of the universe still increases.
Differentiate between entropy increase and constant entropy.
Entropy Increase: Occurs naturally as energy spreads out in a system. Constant Entropy: Only happens in ideal reversible processes (rare).
What is entropy?
A measure of the disorder or randomness in a system, or how much energy is spread out.
Define the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
The total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease; it can only increase or remain constant in ideal, reversible processes.
What is a state function?
A property of a system that depends only on the current state of the system, not on how it reached that state.
What is a closed system?
A system where energy can be exchanged with the surroundings, but matter cannot enter or leave.
What is an open system?
A system where both energy and matter can be exchanged with the surroundings.
What is thermodynamic equilibrium?
The state of a system where entropy is maximized and there is no net change in energy or matter.
What is the difference between entropy changes in open and closed systems?
Closed systems: Entropy always increases over time. Open systems: Entropy can decrease locally, but the total entropy of the universe still increases.
Compare and contrast reversible and irreversible processes in terms of entropy.
Reversible processes (ideal): Entropy remains constant. Irreversible processes (real): Entropy always increases.