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Related Concept Videos

Entropy02:39

Entropy

36.9K
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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Entropy01:18

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.
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...
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Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:20

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

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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...
5.1K
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:26

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

20
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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The Second Law of Thermodynamics01:14

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

7.0K
In the quest to identify a property that may reliably predict the spontaneity of a process, a promising candidate has been identified: entropy. Scientists refer to the measure of randomness or disorder within a system as entropy. High entropy means high disorder and low energy. To better understand entropy, think of a student’s bedroom. If no energy or work were put into it, the room would quickly become messy. It would exist in a very disordered state, one of high entropy. Energy must be...
7.0K
Entropy Change in Reversible Processes01:10

Entropy Change in Reversible Processes

3.3K
In the Carnot engine, which achieves the maximum efficiency between two reservoirs of fixed temperatures, the total change in entropy is zero. The observation can be generalized by considering any reversible cyclic process consisting of many Carnot cycles. Thus, it can be stated that the total entropy change of any ideal reversible cycle is zero.
The statement can be further generalized to prove that entropy is a state function. Take a cyclic process between any two points on a p-V diagram.
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Experimental Investigation of Secondary Flow Structures Downstream of a Model Type IV Stent Failure in a 180° Curved Artery Test Section
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Wigner Entropy Production Rate.

Jader P Santos1, Gabriel T Landi2, Mauro Paternostro3

  • 1Universidade Federal do ABC, 09210-580 Santo André, Brazil.

Physical Review Letters
|June 17, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a new theory for irreversible entropy production in quantum systems. This framework accurately models quantum processes interacting with general, nonequilibrium environments, advancing our understanding of quantum irreversibility.

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Area of Science:

  • Quantum physics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Statistical mechanics

Background:

  • Characterizing irreversibility in quantum processes is crucial for technological applications.
  • Current methods are limited to equilibrium environments, not reflecting experimental realities.
  • Quantum systems often interact with complex, nonequilibrium surroundings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel theory for irreversible entropy production.
  • To extend the analysis to quantum systems interacting with general, nonequilibrium reservoirs.
  • To provide a more realistic framework for studying quantum irreversibility.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a theoretical framework for irreversible entropy production.
  • Application of the theory to quantum systems under nonequilibrium conditions.
  • Analysis of physically relevant scenarios to demonstrate the framework's utility.

Main Results:

  • A new theory capable of characterizing irreversibility in general quantum processes.
  • The framework successfully models quantum systems interacting with nonequilibrium reservoirs.
  • Demonstration of the theory's features and potential through specific examples.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed theory offers a significant advancement in understanding quantum irreversibility.
  • It provides a valuable tool for analyzing realistic quantum experiments.
  • The framework has broad implications for quantum technologies and fundamental physics.