Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics01:20

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

3.9K
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...
3.9K
The Second Law of Thermodynamics01:14

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

6.3K
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...
6.3K
Entropy01:18

Entropy

3.2K
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...
3.2K
Entropy02:39

Entropy

33.6K
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...
33.6K
Second Law of Thermodynamics02:49

Second Law of Thermodynamics

26.0K
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...
26.0K
Second Law of Thermodynamics00:53

Second Law of Thermodynamics

66.4K
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy, or the amount of disorder in a system, increases each time energy is transferred or transformed. Each energy transfer results in a certain amount of energy that is lost—usually in the form of heat—that increases the disorder of the surroundings. This can also be demonstrated in a classic food web. Herbivores harvest chemical energy from plants and release heat and carbon dioxide into the environment. Carnivores harvest the...
66.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reasoning and Logical Proofs of the Fundamental Laws: "<i>No Hope</i>" for the Challengers of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2023
Same author

Nature of Heat and Thermal Energy: From Caloric to Carnot's Reflections, to Entropy, Exergy, Entransy and Beyond.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2020
Same journal

Research on a Regional Availability Evaluation Model for Road-Area High-Entropy Energy Based on Synergy Factors.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Atmospheric Turbulence Channel Modeling and Performance Analysis of a CO-ZP-OFDM Coherent Optical Communication System for UAV Air-to-Ground Scenarios.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Information Geometry and Asymptotic Theory for SMML Estimators.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Correlation Entropy and Power-Law Kinetics.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Research on the Contagion of Systemic Financial Risk Under the Impact of Climate Risks-From the Perspective of Complex Networks and Machine Learning.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

The Statistical-Mechanical Meaning of the Wave Function of Quantum Mechanics.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 27, 2025

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
11:03

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

Published on: December 4, 2017

8.8K

The Second Law and Entropy Misconceptions Demystified.

Milivoje M Kostic1

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 8, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The Second Law of thermodynamics is universally upheld, as all processes, including life and open systems, dissipate energy and generate entropy. True entropy destruction is impossible, ensuring that overall entropy always increases, never decreases.

Keywords:
Second Law challengesSecond Law misconceptionsSecond Law of thermodynamicsentropy

More Related Videos

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
09:42

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes

Published on: January 16, 2016

9.3K
Bulk and Thin Film Synthesis of Compositionally Variant Entropy-stabilized Oxides
09:41

Bulk and Thin Film Synthesis of Compositionally Variant Entropy-stabilized Oxides

Published on: May 29, 2018

9.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 27, 2025

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
11:03

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

Published on: December 4, 2017

8.8K
Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
09:42

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes

Published on: January 16, 2016

9.3K
Bulk and Thin Film Synthesis of Compositionally Variant Entropy-stabilized Oxides
09:41

Bulk and Thin Film Synthesis of Compositionally Variant Entropy-stabilized Oxides

Published on: May 29, 2018

9.8K

Area of Science:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Statistical Physics
  • Quantum Physics

Background:

  • The Second Law of Thermodynamics faces persistent challenges and claims of hypothetical violations across scientific and philosophical discourse.
  • Fascination with challenging this fundamental law has grown with advancements in statistical physics, quantum physics, and information theory.

Discussion:

  • Phenomenological reasoning suggests that non-equilibrium work-energy potential is always dissipated as heat, generating thermodynamic entropy universally and without exception.
  • This includes biological processes, open systems, micro-fluctuations, gravity, and quantum entanglement, all of which adhere to entropy generation.
  • Entropy cannot be destroyed; it is conserved in ideal processes and irreversibly generated in real ones, thus always increasing overall.

Key Insights:

  • The creation of ordered structures, including life, inherently involves energy dissipation and entropy generation, thus not violating the Second Law.
  • Hypothetical entropy destruction would necessitate a spontaneous increase in non-equilibrium and contradict fundamental cause-and-effect principles.
  • All previously proposed paradoxes and violations of the Second Law have been resolved in its favor.

Outlook:

  • No confirmed violations of the Second Law of Thermodynamics have been observed to date.
  • Further research will continue to explore the boundaries and implications of thermodynamic principles in complex systems.
  • The universality of entropy generation remains a cornerstone of physical science.