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Understanding Entropy and Spontaneity

Entropy is a thermodynamic measure of energy dispersion within a system, indicating whether a process is spontaneous or non-spontaneous. It is quantified in joules per Kelvin (J/K) and is associated with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the entropy of the universe increases during spontaneous processes. Changes in entropy can be predicted based on the number of gas molecules produced or consumed in a reaction.

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11 views1 page

Understanding Entropy and Spontaneity

Entropy is a thermodynamic measure of energy dispersion within a system, indicating whether a process is spontaneous or non-spontaneous. It is quantified in joules per Kelvin (J/K) and is associated with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the entropy of the universe increases during spontaneous processes. Changes in entropy can be predicted based on the number of gas molecules produced or consumed in a reaction.

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dhencygayamo
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Entropy

What is entropy? How does it relate to spontaneity of a process?

Entropy, S , is a thermodynamic quantity that is a measure of how spread out or dispersed the energy of a system is among
the different possible ways that system can contain energy. It is a quantity that is generally used to describe the course of a
process, that is, whether it is a spontaneous process and has a probability of occurring in a defined direction, or a non-
spontaneous process and will not proceed in the
defined direction, but in the reverse direction.

 The SI unit of entropy is joules per Kelvin (J/K) and, like enthalpy, is a state function.

How do entropy changes occur?


Most processes are accompanied by entropy change. The following are processes that lead to an increase in entropy of the
system.

The spreading out of more concentrated molecules and the spreading out of more concentrated energy are changes from
more order to more random. The changes that occur are the ones that lead to an increasing randomness of the universe.
Entropy is sometimes referred as the measure of randomness and disorder.

At high enough temperature, the spontaneous change is from Solid Liquid Gas; gas is more random than liquid and liquid is
more random than solid. There is an increase in entropy (S) of the system by going from solid to liquid to gas.

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics


The Second Law of Thermodynamics deals with entropy. It tells whether a process or chemical reaction can occur. The
connection between entropy and the spontaneity of a reaction is expressed by the second law of thermodynamics:
It states that:
“The entropy of the universe increases in a spontaneous process and remains unchanged in an equilibrium
process.”

Because the universe is made up of the system and the surroundings, the entropy change in the universe (ΔSuniv) for any
process is the sum of the entropy changes in the system (ΔSsys) and in the surroundings (ΔSsur).

General rules for predicting entropy change of the system:


1. If the reaction produces more gas molecules than it consumes, ΔS° is positive.
2. If the total number of gas molecules diminishes, ΔS° is negative.
3. If there is no net change in the total number of gas molecules, ΔS° may be positive or negative, but will be relatively
small numerically.

Exercises:
A. Predict whether the entropy change of the system in each of the following is positive or negative.

B.

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