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The entropy (S) of a system is related to how much randomness the
system can have. It is a state
function just like the enthalpy
H. Since it is a state function and its value for a state does not depend on
the path that was taken to get to that state, you can compute the change in
entropy by
- DS = Sfinal -
Sinitial
In general, the entropy of a given system depends on its state and
temperature. For a sample:
- Ssolid < Sliquid: Solids are generally more
ordered than liquids
- Sliquid < Sgas: Liquids are more ordered than
gases
- S increases as T increases
The 2nd and 3rd laws of
thermodynamics deal with entropy. |