A microstate is a specific, detailed configuration of a system at the molecular level that corresponds to a particular macroscopic state. Each microstate represents one possible arrangement of particles and their energies within the system.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
A single macroscopic state can correspond to many different microstates.
The number of microstates is critical for determining the entropy of a system.
Increasing the number of microstates generally increases the entropy.
Entropy ($S$) is related to the number of microstates ($\Omega$) by Boltzmann's equation: $S = k_B \ln \Omega$, where $k_B$ is Boltzmann's constant.
Microstates help explain the statistical interpretation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that systems tend to evolve towards configurations with higher probabilities (more microstates).
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Related terms
Macroscopic State: A description of a system using averaged properties like temperature, pressure, and volume, rather than detailed molecular configurations.