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Entropy02:39

Entropy

32.2K
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 Thermodynamics01:20

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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...
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The Second Law of Thermodynamics01:14

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

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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...
6.1K
Third Law of Thermodynamics02:38

Third Law of Thermodynamics

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A pure, perfectly crystalline solid possessing no kinetic energy (that is, at a temperature of absolute zero, 0 K) may be described by a single microstate, as its purity, perfect crystallinity,and complete lack of motion means there is but one possible location for each identical atom or molecule comprising the crystal (W = 1). According to the Boltzmann equation, the entropy of this system is zero.
20.1K
Second Law of Thermodynamics02:49

Second Law of Thermodynamics

24.9K
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...
24.9K
Standard Entropy Change for a Reaction03:00

Standard Entropy Change for a Reaction

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Entropy is a state function, so the standard entropy change for a chemical reaction (ΔS°rxn) can be calculated from the difference in standard entropy between the products and the reactants.
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The Problem of Engines in Statistical Physics.

Robert Alicki1, David Gelbwaser-Klimovsky2, Alejandro Jenkins1,3

  • 1International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies (ICTQT), University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 27, 2021
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents a new thermodynamic framework for autonomous engines, clarifying heat and work outputs. It modifies equations of motion to include external forces and thermal noise for irreversible dynamics.

Keywords:
Langevin equationactive matterfeedbackirreversible processeslimit cyclesmaster equationopen systemsquantum thermodynamicsthermodynamic cycles

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Area of Science:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Statistical Mechanics
  • Mathematical Physics

Background:

  • Engines are open systems generating work from disequilibrium, yet their temporal dynamics are a theoretical blind spot in mathematical physics.
  • This gap hinders the application of statistical mechanics to active systems like living matter.
  • Recent advances in open quantum systems theory and active force mechanisms offer new perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a general conceptualization of autonomous engines.
  • To clarify the distinction between heat and work outputs.
  • To develop a thermodynamically complete formulation for irreversible engine dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Developing a general conceptualization of engines.
  • Incorporating external loading force and thermal noise into equations of motion.
  • Modifying standard Fokker-Planck and Langevin equations.

Main Results:

  • A clearer distinction between heat and work outputs for autonomous engines.
  • Inclusion of external loading force and thermal noise in engine dynamics.
  • A thermodynamically complete formulation for irreversible dynamics of oscillating and rotating engines.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed framework provides a more realistic description of autonomous engines.
  • This approach enhances the applicability of statistical mechanics to active systems.
  • The modified equations offer a complete description of irreversible dynamics in simple engines.