State the second law of thermodynamics.

Verified step by step guidance

1. The second law of thermodynamics is a fundamental principle that describes the direction of thermodynamic processes and the concept of entropy.
2. Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system, and the second law states that the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time.
3. In practical terms, this means that natural processes tend to move towards a state of maximum entropy or disorder.
4. The second law also implies that energy transformations are not 100% efficient, as some energy is always lost as heat, increasing the entropy of the surroundings.
5. A common way to express the second law is: 'The entropy of the universe tends to increase in spontaneous processes.'

Key Concepts

Second Law of Thermodynamics

The second law of thermodynamics states that in any energy transfer or transformation, the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time. This means that natural processes tend to move towards a state of greater disorder or randomness, indicating that energy transformations are not 100% efficient.

Entropy

Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. In thermodynamics, it quantifies the amount of energy in a physical system that is not available to do work. As entropy increases, the energy available for doing work decreases, which is a key aspect of the second law of thermodynamics.

Isolated System

An isolated system is one that does not exchange matter or energy with its surroundings. In the context of the second law of thermodynamics, it is important to consider isolated systems because the law applies to them, indicating that their entropy will always increase or remain constant, but never decrease.