Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Submillisecond Conformational Changes in Proteins Resolved by Photothermal Beam Deflection
10:02

Submillisecond Conformational Changes in Proteins Resolved by Photothermal Beam Deflection

Published on: February 18, 2014

Quantum approach to a derivation of the second law of thermodynamics

J Gemmer1, A Otte, G Mahler

  • 1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany.

Physical Review Letters
|April 6, 2001
PubMed

More Related Videos

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators09:23

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids11:03

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

Published on: December 4, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Entropy02:39

Entropy

Salt particles that have dissolved in water never spontaneously come back together in solution to reform solid particles. Moreover, a gas that has expanded in a vacuum remains dispersed and never spontaneously reassembles. The unidirectional nature of these phenomena is the result of a thermodynamic state function called entropy (S). Entropy is the measure of the extent to which the energy is dispersed throughout a system, or in other words, it is proportional to the degree of disorder of a...
Second Law of Thermodynamics02:49

Second Law of Thermodynamics

In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Processes that involve an increase in entropy of the system (ΔS > 0) are very often spontaneous; however, examples to the contrary are plentiful. By expanding consideration of entropy changes to include the surroundings, a significant conclusion regarding the relation between this property and spontaneity may be reached. In thermodynamic models, the...
Entropy01:18

Entropy

The first law of thermodynamics is quantitatively formulated via an equation relating the internal energy of a system, the heat exchanged by it, and the work done on it. A quantitative formulation of the second law of thermodynamics leads to defining a state function, the entropy.
When an ideal gas expands isothermally, the disorder in the gas increases. From the molecular perspective, the gas molecules have more volume to move around in.
Consider an infinitesimal step in the expansion, which...
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:20

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

The second law of thermodynamics can be stated quantitatively using the concept of entropy. Entropy is the measure of disorder of the system.
The relation  between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:26

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Consider an isolated system in which a hot object is placed in contact with a cold one. This is an irreversible process that eventually leads both objects to reach the same equilibrium temperature. It is crucial to note that the constituents of any substance exhibit increased disorder at higher temperatures. As a cold substance absorbs heat, its constituents become more disordered. The energy transfer from a hotter object to a cooler one increases the system's disorder or randomness. This...
Calculation of First-Law Quantities II01:24

Calculation of First-Law Quantities II

The first law of thermodynamics establishes that the change in internal energy of a system is given by ΔU = q + w, where q is the heat exchanged, and w is the work performed. For a perfect gas, both internal energy (U) and enthalpy (H) depend solely on temperature. Consequently, for any change of state, whether reversible or irreversible, the internal energy change is determined by integrating the heat capacity at constant volume, and the enthalpy change by integrating the heat capacity at...