If the entropy of a system increases, what can be inferred about the spontaneity
Practice Questions
Q1
If the entropy of a system increases, what can be inferred about the spontaneity of the process?
The process is non-spontaneous
The process is spontaneous
The process is at equilibrium
None of the above
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If the entropy of a system increases, what can be inferred about the spontaneity of the process?
Step 1: Understand what entropy is. Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system.
Step 2: Learn about the second law of thermodynamics. This law states that in an isolated system, the total entropy can never decrease over time.
Step 3: Recognize that if the entropy of a system increases, it means the system is becoming more disordered.
Step 4: Connect the increase in entropy to spontaneity. A spontaneous process is one that occurs naturally without needing to be driven by an external force.
Step 5: Conclude that since an increase in entropy indicates more disorder, it suggests that the process is spontaneous.
Entropy and Spontaneity – Entropy is a measure of disorder in a system, and according to the second law of thermodynamics, an increase in entropy often indicates that a process is spontaneous.