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

The 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. 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 put...
Absolute Entropies and the Third Law of Thermodynamics01:23

Absolute Entropies and the Third Law of Thermodynamics

Ludwig Edward Boltzmann developed a definition for entropy, which stated that absolute entropy is proportional to the natural logarithm of the number of possible combinations of particles. Entropy stands alone among state functions as the only one whose absolute values can be determined.Consider a gas sample confined to a container. As the container expands, the energy levels of gas molecules become more closely spaced. This increases the number of available energy states, thereby increasing...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

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

Entropy Is Not Extensive.

Chris Jeynes1, Michael C Parker2

  • 1Independent Researcher, Tredegar NP22 4LP, UK.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The Gibbs Paradox reveals that entropy is not always extensive. Entropy production, however, is extensive, a finding with implications for information theory and thermodynamics.

Keywords:
QGTactionemergencemereologystatistical mechanics

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Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Bulk and Thin Film Synthesis of Compositionally Variant Entropy-stabilized Oxides
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11:00

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Published on: July 19, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Information Theory
  • Statistical Mechanics

Background:

  • The Gibbs Paradox questions the extensivity of entropy, a fundamental concept in thermodynamics.
  • Edwin Jaynes' work (1992) provided a detailed treatment of the paradox, exploring conditions for entropic extensivity.
  • The Holographic Principle suggests entropy is not strictly extensive.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-examine the Gibbs Paradox and entropic extensivity in light of Jaynes' work.
  • To investigate the extensivity of entropy under the Holographic Principle.
  • To determine whether entropy or entropy production is extensive using Quantitative Geometrical Thermodynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of special and general cases for entropic extensivity.
  • Application of the formalism of Quantitative Geometrical Thermodynamics.
  • Exploration of the implications of the Holographic Principle on entropy.

Main Results:

  • Entropy is not always extensive, particularly under the Holographic Principle.
  • Entropy production, isomorphic to energy, is demonstrated to be extensive.
  • Shannon information is not extensive, but information production is extensive.

Conclusions:

  • Entropy production, not entropy itself, is the extensive quantity in thermodynamic systems.
  • This finding clarifies the Gibbs Paradox and has significant implications for understanding information and entropy.
  • The extensivity of information production offers a new perspective in information theory.