Entropy and the Laws of Thermodynamics

Flashcards on Entropy and the Laws of Thermodynamics

Spontaneous Process

Any process that occurs without the input of energy.

Irreversible Process

A directional process that proceeds from a non-equilibrium state to an equilibrium state, resulting in the dispersal of matter and/or energy.

Entropy

A measure of the disorder or messiness of a system; a state function, not a path function.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

The entropy of the universe (or any isolated system) increases in the course of any spontaneous change.

Reversible Heat Transfer

A hypothetical heat transfer due to an infinitesimally small temperature difference, where an infinitesimal change in temperature reverses the direction of energy flow.

Clausius Inequality

An inequality used to prove that the entropy of the universe increases for irreversible processes.

State Function

A property whose value does not depend on the path taken to reach a specific state (e.g., entropy).

Isothermal Process

A process that occurs at a constant temperature.

Isochoric Process

A process that occurs at a constant volume.

Isobaric Process

A process that occurs at a constant pressure.