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Entropy

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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.
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Entropy

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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...

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Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

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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...

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Related Experiment Video

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

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Published on: December 4, 2017

Work fluctuation and total entropy production in nonequilibrium processes.

Ken Funo¹, Tomohiro Shitara², Masahito Ueda^2,3

¹School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.

Physical Review. E

|January 14, 2017

Summary

This study explores the trade-off between work fluctuation and entropy production in small thermodynamic systems. Researchers found a method to minimize entropy production for a given work fluctuation in nonequilibrium systems.

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Area of Science:

Thermodynamics
Statistical Mechanics
Non-equilibrium Systems

Background:

Work fluctuation and entropy production are key in small thermodynamic systems with large thermal fluctuations.
Understanding their interplay is crucial for controlling system dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate the trade-off relation between work fluctuation and total entropy production.
Develop methods to minimize entropy production for a given work fluctuation in non-equilibrium systems.

Main Methods:

Applied a variational method to analyze the trade-off.
Derived a stationary solution by optimizing over system protocols.
Constructed an explicit protocol using adiabatic and quasistatic processes.

Main Results:

Identified a minimum for total entropy production at a given work fluctuation.
Demonstrated that this minimum can be achieved through a specific protocol.
The protocol involves an adiabatic process followed by a quasistatic process.

Conclusions:

The findings offer insights into controlling non-equilibrium dynamics.
Provides a strategy to suppress both work fluctuation and entropy production simultaneously.
Highlights the importance of carefully chosen protocols in thermodynamic control.