For a spontaneous process, the change in entropy of the universe must be:
Practice Questions
Q1
For a spontaneous process, the change in entropy of the universe must be:
Zero
Positive
Negative
Undefined
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
For a spontaneous process, the change in entropy of the universe must be:
Step 1: Understand what a spontaneous process is. A spontaneous process is a natural occurrence that happens without needing to be driven by an external force.
Step 2: Learn about entropy. Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system.
Step 3: Recognize that the universe is made up of two parts: the system (the part we are studying) and the surroundings (everything else around it).
Step 4: For a process to be spontaneous, the total change in entropy of both the system and the surroundings must increase.
Step 5: This means that the total entropy change of the universe (system + surroundings) must be positive.
Entropy – Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system, and for a process to be spontaneous, the total entropy change must be positive.
Spontaneous Process – A spontaneous process is one that occurs without external intervention, typically characterized by an increase in the total entropy of the universe.
Second Law of Thermodynamics – The second law states that the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time, and it will increase for spontaneous processes.