Entropy
Definition
Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness within a system. It quantifies how spread out or dispersed energy is within a given system. In simple terms, it represents the level of chaos or randomness in a system.
Analogy
Imagine a deck of cards that is perfectly sorted and arranged in order. Entropy would be like shuffling the deck, causing the cards to become disorganized and randomly distributed. The more shuffled the deck becomes, the higher its entropy.
Related terms
Thermodynamic Equilibrium: A state where there is no net transfer of energy or matter within a system.
Boltzmann's Formula: An equation that relates entropy to the number of possible microstates in a system.
Gibbs Free Energy: A thermodynamic potential that measures how much useful work can be extracted from a system at constant temperature and pressure.
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