Entropy

Entropy is an important aspect of thermodynamics, and is a property that all thermodynamic systems have. Entropy, S, is a quantitative meausure of the degree of disorder in a system All substances possess some degree of entropy, as they are always in constant motion. Values of Entropy are always positve, with a higher value indicating a higher level of disorder within a chemical system. A perfect crystal at absolute zero has zero entropy. Entropy is related to energy, and it can be thought of as the dispersal of energy. There is a general tendency towards higher

entropy. Entropy explains many natural processes, such as the diffusion of gasses. In the above system, entropy has increased as the gas molecules spread out over time. Entropy changes Entropy increases when a substance changes state to give a more random configuration. Solid------->Liquid------->Gas Entropy Increases Entropy increases when a solid lattice dissolves, such as... CuSO4.5H2O + aq --------->Cu 2+ + SO4 2- + 5H2O Entropy increases in a reaction that yields a higher number of gas molecules. Mg + 2HCl -------> MgCl2 + H2 In this reaction, one mole of gas (H2) is produced, compared to no moles of gas at the start The standard entropy of a substance is the entropy content of one mole of the substance under standard conditions.

The entropy change of a reaction can be calculated using the formula below: #S= #S(reactants) - #S(products) If a change makes the system more random, entropy increases If a change makes the system more ordered, entropy decreases