entropy-in-termodynamics

Entropy In Thermodynamics

Business / By / November 24, 2023

Entropy in thermodynamics is a concept measuring disorder in closed systems, closely related to the Second Law. Measured in Joules per Kelvin, it’s vital in heat engines, refrigeration, and chemical reactions. Understanding entropy helps improve energy efficiency. Examples include the Carnot Cycle and phase transitions, showcasing its significance in various contexts.

Introduction to Entropy in Thermodynamics

Entropy is a concept that was first introduced in the 19th century by the German physicist Rudolf Clausius. It is often described as a measure of the amount of disorder or randomness in a system. In thermodynamics, entropy is used to quantify the tendency of energy to disperse or become more evenly distributed within a closed system.

Key principles of entropy in thermodynamics include:

  1. The Second Law of Thermodynamics: This law states that in any energy exchange, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state. In other words, the entropy of an isolated system tends to increase over time.
  2. Microscopic Disorder: Entropy is related to the microscopic disorder or randomness of particles in a system. Systems tend to evolve towards states with higher entropy because there are more ways for particles to be arranged randomly than in an ordered manner.
  3. Heat Transfer: Entropy is closely linked to the transfer of heat. When heat flows from a hot object to a cold object, the total entropy of the system increases. This process is irreversible and is consistent with the second law of thermodynamics.
  4. Statistical Mechanics: In statistical mechanics, entropy is derived from the statistical behavior of particles in a system. It is related to the number of microstates (possible arrangements of particles) that correspond to a given macrostate (observed properties of the system).

Entropy and the Arrow of Time

One of the most intriguing aspects of entropy in thermodynamics is its connection to the arrow of time. The arrow of time refers to the asymmetry between past and future in the behavior of physical systems. Entropy is intimately linked to this concept because it provides a directionality to physical processes.

The second law of thermodynamics, which states that entropy tends to increase over time in an isolated system, provides a natural direction for physical processes. In simple terms, it explains why we observe that hot coffee cools down in a cold room but never spontaneously gets hotter, and why an ice cube in a warm room melts rather than freezing further.

This directionality of entropy is often associated with the idea of the “arrow of time.” It highlights the distinction between past and future, suggesting that the universe is evolving from a state of lower entropy (more ordered) in the past towards a state of higher entropy (more disordered) in the future.

Entropy in Different States of Matter

Entropy behaves differently in various states of matter, namely solids, liquids, and gases:

  1. Solids: In a solid, the particles are tightly packed and have relatively low entropy. The arrangement of particles is ordered and organized, resulting in low randomness.
  2. Liquids: Liquids have higher entropy than solids because the particles are more disordered and have greater freedom of movement compared to solids.
  3. Gases: Gases exhibit the highest entropy among the three states of matter. In a gas, the particles are highly disordered, move rapidly, and occupy a larger volume, resulting in the highest degree of randomness.

The concept of entropy is particularly useful in explaining phase transitions, such as the melting of ice (solid to liquid) or the evaporation of water (liquid to gas). During these transitions, there is an increase in entropy as the arrangement of particles becomes less ordered.

Applications of Entropy in Thermodynamics

Entropy plays a pivotal role in various applications within the field of thermodynamics:

  1. Heat Engines: Entropy is central to the operation of heat engines, including steam engines and internal combustion engines. The second law of thermodynamics places limits on the efficiency of these engines, emphasizing the importance of minimizing wasted heat.
  2. Refrigeration and Cooling Systems: Entropy is essential in the design and operation of refrigeration and cooling systems. These systems use the transfer of heat and changes in entropy to maintain low temperatures in designated areas.
  3. Chemical Reactions: Entropy is used to predict whether a chemical reaction is spontaneous or requires an external energy source. In spontaneous reactions, the total entropy of the system increases.
  4. Thermodynamic Cycles: Entropy is a key concept in thermodynamic cycles, such as the Carnot cycle. Understanding changes in entropy during these cycles helps in the design of efficient energy conversion systems.
  5. Thermal Equilibrium: Entropy helps define the concept of thermal equilibrium, where two systems in contact with each other reach the same temperature and have no net heat transfer. In thermal equilibrium, the total entropy remains constant.

Significance of Entropy in Understanding Energy

Entropy is of paramount importance in understanding the behavior of energy in various physical systems:

  1. Energy Quality: Entropy helps distinguish between high-quality and low-quality energy. High-quality energy is organized and available to do useful work, while low-quality energy is disorganized and less useful.
  2. Energy Conservation: The second law of thermodynamics, which is closely related to entropy, states that energy is conserved but tends to disperse and become less available to do work. This principle has profound implications for energy conservation efforts.
  3. Efficiency: Understanding entropy allows engineers and scientists to design energy-efficient systems that minimize wasted energy and maximize useful work output.
  4. Environmental Impacts: Entropy considerations are relevant in environmental science and sustainability efforts. High-entropy processes are often associated with environmental degradation, such as the release of waste heat into the environment.

Conclusion

Entropy is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics that plays a central role in understanding the behavior of matter and energy in physical systems. It provides insights into the directionality of physical processes, the efficiency of energy conversion systems, and the distinction between high-quality and low-quality energy. Entropy’s significance extends beyond the realm of physics and thermodynamics, as it has implications for fields such as engineering, environmental science, and energy conservation. A deeper understanding of entropy is essential for addressing complex challenges related to energy and heat transfer in the modern world.

Case Studies

  • Melting Ice Cube:
    • An ice cube melting in a glass of water represents an increase in entropy. Initially, the water molecules in the ice are in an ordered lattice structure. As it melts, they become more disordered, increasing entropy.
  • Mixing of Gases:
    • When two different gases, such as helium and neon, are released into a container and allowed to mix, the resulting distribution of gas molecules represents an increase in entropy as they become more randomly distributed.
  • Heat Transfer:
    • Heat naturally flows from a hotter object to a colder one. During this process, there is an increase in entropy as the thermal energy becomes more evenly distributed.
  • Diffusion of Perfume:
    • When you open a bottle of perfume in one corner of a room, the fragrance eventually spreads throughout the room. This is an example of the diffusion of particles, resulting in an increase in entropy.
  • Chemical Reactions:
    • Chemical reactions often involve changes in entropy. For example, the combustion of gasoline in a car engine results in the formation of more disordered carbon dioxide and water molecules, increasing entropy.
  • Mixing of Solids:
    • If you mix two different types of solid particles, such as sand and salt, their intermingling represents an increase in entropy due to the random distribution of particles.
  • Thermal Equilibrium:
    • When two objects at different temperatures are brought into contact, they exchange heat until they reach thermal equilibrium. At this point, their temperatures are the same, and entropy has increased.
  • Expanding Gas in a Chamber:
    • If you release a compressed gas into a larger chamber, the gas molecules spread out and occupy a larger volume, leading to an increase in entropy.
  • Aging and Decay:
    • The aging of living organisms and the decay of radioactive materials are natural processes associated with an increase in entropy as systems become more disordered over time.
  • Shuffling a Deck of Cards:
    • When you shuffle a deck of cards, you increase the randomness of the card order, resulting in higher entropy. This randomness is essential for card games.
  • Earth’s Climate:
    • Changes in Earth’s climate, such as the movement of air masses, ocean currents, and temperature variations, involve complex entropy changes in the atmosphere and oceans.
  • Cosmic Entropy:
    • In cosmology, the expansion of the universe is linked to an increase in cosmic entropy, leading to a state of higher disorder as galaxies move farther apart.
  • Data Compression:
    • In information theory, data compression algorithms aim to reduce redundancy and increase entropy in data, resulting in more efficient storage and transmission.
  • Ecosystems:
    • Ecosystems exhibit changes in entropy as species interact, populations fluctuate, and energy flows through food webs, ultimately leading to a dynamic balance.
  • Social Systems:
    • Social systems and organizations experience changes in entropy as they adapt to evolving circumstances, reflecting shifts in structure and behavior.

Key Highlights

  • Measure of Disorder: Entropy is a measure of the degree of disorder or randomness in a system.
  • Natural Processes: Entropy tends to increase over time in natural processes, reflecting the tendency of systems to evolve toward more disordered states.
  • Thermodynamics: In thermodynamics, entropy is associated with heat transfer and energy dispersal. It increases in irreversible processes, such as heat flowing from hot to cold.
  • Statistical Mechanics: In statistical mechanics, entropy is related to the number of microstates or possible arrangements of particles in a system.
  • Phase Changes: Entropy increases during phase changes, such as the melting of solids into liquids or the vaporization of liquids into gases.
  • Mixing and Diffusion: Mixing of substances and the diffusion of particles result in higher entropy as they become more randomly distributed.
  • Chemical Reactions: Many chemical reactions involve changes in entropy. The combustion of fuels, for example, leads to an increase in entropy as reactants transform into more disordered products.
  • Information Theory: In information theory, entropy measures the uncertainty or randomness in data. It is used in data compression and encryption algorithms.
  • Cosmology: The concept of cosmic entropy relates to the expansion of the universe and the tendency for galaxies to move apart over time.
  • Environmental Processes: Entropy plays a role in environmental processes, such as climate changes, as systems seek equilibrium and greater entropy.
  • Practical Applications: Understanding entropy is critical in fields like engineering, chemistry, physics, and information technology for optimizing processes and systems.
  • Universal Principle: The increase in entropy is considered a fundamental principle in physics and has implications for our understanding of time’s arrow and the irreversibility of natural processes.
  • Interdisciplinary Concept: Entropy is a unifying concept that spans multiple scientific disciplines, from physics and chemistry to biology and information science.
  • Quantification: Entropy can be quantified mathematically and is often symbolized by the letter “S” in equations.
  • Inevitable Change: The concept of entropy underscores the inevitability of change and the tendency for systems to evolve from ordered to disordered states, a fundamental concept in science and philosophy.

Connected Thinking Frameworks

Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking

convergent-vs-divergent-thinking
Convergent thinking occurs when the solution to a problem can be found by applying established rules and logical reasoning. Whereas divergent thinking is an unstructured problem-solving method where participants are encouraged to develop many innovative ideas or solutions to a given problem. Where convergent thinking might work for larger, mature organizations where divergent thinking is more suited for startups and innovative companies.

Critical Thinking

critical-thinking
Critical thinking involves analyzing observations, facts, evidence, and arguments to form a judgment about what someone reads, hears, says, or writes.

Biases

biases
The concept of cognitive biases was introduced and popularized by the work of Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in 1972. Biases are seen as systematic errors and flaws that make humans deviate from the standards of rationality, thus making us inept at making good decisions under uncertainty.

Second-Order Thinking

second-order-thinking
Second-order thinking is a means of assessing the implications of our decisions by considering future consequences. Second-order thinking is a mental model that considers all future possibilities. It encourages individuals to think outside of the box so that they can prepare for every and eventuality. It also discourages the tendency for individuals to default to the most obvious choice.

Lateral Thinking

lateral-thinking
Lateral thinking is a business strategy that involves approaching a problem from a different direction. The strategy attempts to remove traditionally formulaic and routine approaches to problem-solving by advocating creative thinking, therefore finding unconventional ways to solve a known problem. This sort of non-linear approach to problem-solving, can at times, create a big impact.

Bounded Rationality

bounded-rationality
Bounded rationality is a concept attributed to Herbert Simon, an economist and political scientist interested in decision-making and how we make decisions in the real world. In fact, he believed that rather than optimizing (which was the mainstream view in the past decades) humans follow what he called satisficing.

Dunning-Kruger Effect

dunning-kruger-effect
The Dunning-Kruger effect describes a cognitive bias where people with low ability in a task overestimate their ability to perform that task well. Consumers or businesses that do not possess the requisite knowledge make bad decisions. What’s more, knowledge gaps prevent the person or business from seeing their mistakes.

Occam’s Razor

occams-razor
Occam’s Razor states that one should not increase (beyond reason) the number of entities required to explain anything. All things being equal, the simplest solution is often the best one. The principle is attributed to 14th-century English theologian William of Ockham.

Lindy Effect

lindy-effect
The Lindy Effect is a theory about the ageing of non-perishable things, like technology or ideas. Popularized by author Nicholas Nassim Taleb, the Lindy Effect states that non-perishable things like technology age – linearly – in reverse. Therefore, the older an idea or a technology, the same will be its life expectancy.

Antifragility

antifragility
Antifragility was first coined as a term by author, and options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Antifragility is a characteristic of systems that thrive as a result of stressors, volatility, and randomness. Therefore, Antifragile is the opposite of fragile. Where a fragile thing breaks up to volatility; a robust thing resists volatility. An antifragile thing gets stronger from volatility (provided the level of stressors and randomness doesn’t pass a certain threshold).

Systems Thinking

systems-thinking
Systems thinking is a holistic means of investigating the factors and interactions that could contribute to a potential outcome. It is about thinking non-linearly, and understanding the second-order consequences of actions and input into the system.

Vertical Thinking

vertical-thinking
Vertical thinking, on the other hand, is a problem-solving approach that favors a selective, analytical, structured, and sequential mindset. The focus of vertical thinking is to arrive at a reasoned, defined solution.

Maslow’s Hammer

einstellung-effect
Maslow’s Hammer, otherwise known as the law of the instrument or the Einstellung effect, is a cognitive bias causing an over-reliance on a familiar tool. This can be expressed as the tendency to overuse a known tool (perhaps a hammer) to solve issues that might require a different tool. This problem is persistent in the business world where perhaps known tools or frameworks might be used in the wrong context (like business plans used as planning tools instead of only investors’ pitches).

Peter Principle

peter-principle
The Peter Principle was first described by Canadian sociologist Lawrence J. Peter in his 1969 book The Peter Principle. The Peter Principle states that people are continually promoted within an organization until they reach their level of incompetence.

Straw Man Fallacy

straw-man-fallacy
The straw man fallacy describes an argument that misrepresents an opponent’s stance to make rebuttal more convenient. The straw man fallacy is a type of informal logical fallacy, defined as a flaw in the structure of an argument that renders it invalid.

Streisand Effect

streisand-effect
The Streisand Effect is a paradoxical phenomenon where the act of suppressing information to reduce visibility causes it to become more visible. In 2003, Streisand attempted to suppress aerial photographs of her Californian home by suing photographer Kenneth Adelman for an invasion of privacy. Adelman, who Streisand assumed was paparazzi, was instead taking photographs to document and study coastal erosion. In her quest for more privacy, Streisand’s efforts had the opposite effect.

Heuristic

heuristic
As highlighted by German psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer in the paper “Heuristic Decision Making,” the term heuristic is of Greek origin, meaning “serving to find out or discover.” More precisely, a heuristic is a fast and accurate way to make decisions in the real world, which is driven by uncertainty.

Recognition Heuristic

recognition-heuristic
The recognition heuristic is a psychological model of judgment and decision making. It is part of a suite of simple and economical heuristics proposed by psychologists Daniel Goldstein and Gerd Gigerenzer. The recognition heuristic argues that inferences are made about an object based on whether it is recognized or not.

Representativeness Heuristic

representativeness-heuristic
The representativeness heuristic was first described by psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. The representativeness heuristic judges the probability of an event according to the degree to which that event resembles a broader class. When queried, most will choose the first option because the description of John matches the stereotype we may hold for an archaeologist.

Take-The-Best Heuristic

take-the-best-heuristic
The take-the-best heuristic is a decision-making shortcut that helps an individual choose between several alternatives. The take-the-best (TTB) heuristic decides between two or more alternatives based on a single good attribute, otherwise known as a cue. In the process, less desirable attributes are ignored.

Bundling Bias

bundling-bias
The bundling bias is a cognitive bias in e-commerce where a consumer tends not to use all of the products bought as a group, or bundle. Bundling occurs when individual products or services are sold together as a bundle. Common examples are tickets and experiences. The bundling bias dictates that consumers are less likely to use each item in the bundle. This means that the value of the bundle and indeed the value of each item in the bundle is decreased.

Barnum Effect

barnum-effect
The Barnum Effect is a cognitive bias where individuals believe that generic information – which applies to most people – is specifically tailored for themselves.

First-Principles Thinking

first-principles-thinking
First-principles thinking – sometimes called reasoning from first principles – is used to reverse-engineer complex problems and encourage creativity. It involves breaking down problems into basic elements and reassembling them from the ground up. Elon Musk is among the strongest proponents of this way of thinking.

Ladder Of Inference

ladder-of-inference
The ladder of inference is a conscious or subconscious thinking process where an individual moves from a fact to a decision or action. The ladder of inference was created by academic Chris Argyris to illustrate how people form and then use mental models to make decisions.

Goodhart’s Law

goodharts-law
Goodhart’s Law is named after British monetary policy theorist and economist Charles Goodhart. Speaking at a conference in Sydney in 1975, Goodhart said that “any observed statistical regularity will tend to collapse once pressure is placed upon it for control purposes.” Goodhart’s Law states that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.

Six Thinking Hats Model

six-thinking-hats-model
The Six Thinking Hats model was created by psychologist Edward de Bono in 1986, who noted that personality type was a key driver of how people approached problem-solving. For example, optimists view situations differently from pessimists. Analytical individuals may generate ideas that a more emotional person would not, and vice versa.

Mandela Effect

mandela-effect
The Mandela effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people remembers an event differently from how it occurred. The Mandela effect was first described in relation to Fiona Broome, who believed that former South African President Nelson Mandela died in prison during the 1980s. While Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and died 23 years later, Broome remembered news coverage of his death in prison and even a speech from his widow. Of course, neither event occurred in reality. But Broome was later to discover that she was not the only one with the same recollection of events.

Crowding-Out Effect

crowding-out-effect
The crowding-out effect occurs when public sector spending reduces spending in the private sector.

Bandwagon Effect

bandwagon-effect
The bandwagon effect tells us that the more a belief or idea has been adopted by more people within a group, the more the individual adoption of that idea might increase within the same group. This is the psychological effect that leads to herd mentality. What in marketing can be associated with social proof.

Moore’s Law

moores-law
Moore’s law states that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years. This observation was made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965 and it become a guiding principle for the semiconductor industry and has had far-reaching implications for technology as a whole.

Disruptive Innovation

disruptive-innovation
Disruptive innovation as a term was first described by Clayton M. Christensen, an American academic and business consultant whom The Economist called “the most influential management thinker of his time.” Disruptive innovation describes the process by which a product or service takes hold at the bottom of a market and eventually displaces established competitors, products, firms, or alliances.

Value Migration

value-migration
Value migration was first described by author Adrian Slywotzky in his 1996 book Value Migration – How to Think Several Moves Ahead of the Competition. Value migration is the transferal of value-creating forces from outdated business models to something better able to satisfy consumer demands.

Bye-Now Effect

bye-now-effect
The bye-now effect describes the tendency for consumers to think of the word “buy” when they read the word “bye”. In a study that tracked diners at a name-your-own-price restaurant, each diner was asked to read one of two phrases before ordering their meal. The first phrase, “so long”, resulted in diners paying an average of $32 per meal. But when diners recited the phrase “bye bye” before ordering, the average price per meal rose to $45.

Groupthink

groupthink
Groupthink occurs when well-intentioned individuals make non-optimal or irrational decisions based on a belief that dissent is impossible or on a motivation to conform. Groupthink occurs when members of a group reach a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the alternatives and their consequences.

Stereotyping

stereotyping
A stereotype is a fixed and over-generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. These beliefs are based on the false assumption that certain characteristics are common to every individual residing in that group. Many stereotypes have a long and sometimes controversial history and are a direct consequence of various political, social, or economic events. Stereotyping is the process of making assumptions about a person or group of people based on various attributes, including gender, race, religion, or physical traits.

Murphy’s Law

murphys-law
Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Murphy’s Law was named after aerospace engineer Edward A. Murphy. During his time working at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949, Murphy cursed a technician who had improperly wired an electrical component and said, “If there is any way to do it wrong, he’ll find it.”

Law of Unintended Consequences

law-of-unintended-consequences
The law of unintended consequences was first mentioned by British philosopher John Locke when writing to parliament about the unintended effects of interest rate rises. However, it was popularized in 1936 by American sociologist Robert K. Merton who looked at unexpected, unanticipated, and unintended consequences and their impact on society.

Fundamental Attribution Error

fundamental-attribution-error
Fundamental attribution error is a bias people display when judging the behavior of others. The tendency is to over-emphasize personal characteristics and under-emphasize environmental and situational factors.

Outcome Bias

outcome-bias
Outcome bias describes a tendency to evaluate a decision based on its outcome and not on the process by which the decision was reached. In other words, the quality of a decision is only determined once the outcome is known. Outcome bias occurs when a decision is based on the outcome of previous events without regard for how those events developed.

Hindsight Bias

hindsight-bias
Hindsight bias is the tendency for people to perceive past events as more predictable than they actually were. The result of a presidential election, for example, seems more obvious when the winner is announced. The same can also be said for the avid sports fan who predicted the correct outcome of a match regardless of whether their team won or lost. Hindsight bias, therefore, is the tendency for an individual to convince themselves that they accurately predicted an event before it happened.

Read Next: Biases, Bounded Rationality, Mandela Effect, Dunning-Kruger Effect, Lindy Effect, Crowding Out Effect, Bandwagon Effect.

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About The Author

Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
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