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2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Definition

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics states that in any natural process, the total entropy of a closed system always increases or remains constant. It implies that energy tends to disperse and systems tend to move towards a state of greater disorder.

Analogy

Imagine a perfectly organized room with all the books neatly arranged on shelves. As time goes by, without any intervention, the books start getting scattered around the room and become disorganized. This is similar to how energy spreads out and systems become more chaotic over time according to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

Related terms

Entropy: Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. It quantifies how much energy has dispersed or how many different ways energy can be distributed within a system.

Carnot cycle: The Carnot cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle that consists of four reversible processes (two adiabatic and two isothermal) used as a benchmark for maximum efficiency in heat engines.

Heat engine: A heat engine is a device that converts thermal energy into mechanical work by exploiting temperature differences between a hot reservoir and a cold reservoir.