Interpretations of Entropy - Article Example

Running Head: Entropy Entropy [Institute’s Entropy Entropy is a phenomenon that has drawn various interpretations and explanations from among the many theorists and physicists of all times. Many of the interpretations are controversial and also contradictory to one another (Brissaud, pp. 69, 2005). Thus, precisely, none of the physicists have agreed on one definition and therefore, this physical quantity can not be confined into an absolute remark. The paper will consider every explanation given to the term and explain them accordingly. Entropy has been referred to as disorder, disrupt and chaos. This physical quantity has been associated with randomness by Boltzmann who believes that in a confined system, the disorder that is produced is actually entropy. On the other hand, Shannon considers positive information that is produced in message transmission as entropy. Conversely, there is one more interpretation given to the term which is very much opposite to the former. Brillouin associates entropy with deficiency of information. This can also be stated as uncertainty and doubt and something which cannot be predicted. Ignorance is also one part of the mentioned interpretation of Brillouin. In addition, finally, there are some authors and theorists who consider freedom as entropy; freedom to evolve from one state to the other (Brissaud, pp. 69-70, 2005). Entropy is, basically, a fundamental and core value of modern physics that could be easily linked with different areas like metaphysics, biology and even economy. For these reasons, every interpretation and explanation of the term has its own importance in these diverse fields and they should be made to use in order to learn more about the phenomenon. Let the paper analyse each interpretation separately. When they say that entropy is the disorder, it means that when heat is produced in a closed system, the molecules gas molecules would, automatically, move randomly in any position. This would create more work and energy in the system than the energy which was initially present. This chaos and disrupt is termed as entropy. Moreover, considering the second and third interpretations, the lack of information, actually, refers to uncertainty and indefiniteness. An outsider can never predict where and how the gas molecules would spread when heat energy is produced in a closed system. This tendency of not being able to predict the present and future positions of molecules makes entropy associated with uncertainty and lack of information. However, for the same closed system, considering it from the inside, the movement and change is actually an information which is referred to as positive and beneficial adding up to the knowledge. Likewise, the gas molecules have maximum freedom to move rapidly in whatever directions, which increases with time (Brissaud, pp. 70, 2005). However, many theorists and authors disagree with the association of entropy with disorder. These theorists claim that the agitation is more a result of temperature than of entropy as a whole. This confusion exists because of the reason that all these three quantities and values are closely in connection with each other. Heat, temperature, and entropy have so close relations that the source of disorder and agitation is not observable clearly and precisely. When defined accurately, temperature, according to the modern and classical thermodynamics, is the value given to the molecular agitation that happens after heat is produced in a closed area. Furthermore, heat is termed as the disordered energy creating the chaos. Therefore, these three core principles in thermodynamics are closely linked with one another and are the source of the concepts of agitation and disorder that are associated with entropy (Brissaud, pp. 82, 2005). Thus, temperature is the real phenomenon associated to chaos and disorder since low temperature systems are always said to under order and less agitated. This is the reasons theorists disagree with that interpretation. Heat production and the subsequent increase in temperature collectively contribute to entropy (Brissaud, pp. 83, 2005). However, these misconceptions still prevail in the modern physics and are made the basis of further assumptions by great scholars as well. The above controversial concept sticks to the minds of great physicists also because temperature and entropy, very commonly, vary together. To clarify that misconception, it is important to analyze an example where the two phenomena do not vary with each other. For instance, considering the Big-Bang theory and the subsequent reality we are quite clear with the fact that in the beginning there was maximum disorder when the temperature was high. But, gradually, the temperature is decreasing and entropy is increasing which means the order is prevailing (Brissaud, pp. 84-85, 2005). Considering entropy in the context of the second law of thermodynamics, we should know that it is one of the core laws in physics. The subject of the second law which is entropy has great relations with the main theme of the first law that is energy (Cheng, pp.73-74, 2006). Thus, to view it under the umbrella of thermodynamics, it is important to understand their inter linkage. “Order from Disorder” is the core principle and understanding of entropy with in the context of thermodynamics. This is said to be a great revolution in physics which defines the well anticipated consequences of the thermodynamic laws (Cheng, pp.73-74, 2006). The first and second law of thermodynamics (Cheng, pp.73-74, 2006) are that of symmetry and broken or non symmetry in the world or taking a closed system under consideration. When there is no or less energy, everything is in position and in their original states. However, with a gradual increase in energy production, heat and work, the transformation within the internal objects begin to take place and the symmetry or order appears to be broken (Capek & Sheehan, pp.27-29, 2005). As a matter of fact, one of the most important innate characteristics of the world is its tendency to be active and working every moment (Cheng, pp. 75-78, 2006). When the production of energy becomes out of equilibrium, which is an unexpected change, every bit of the world is active enough to react to that change. The reaction is to minimize the change and retransform things to their original phase. Thus, the whole world is seen to be following this law pertinently. Thus, the first and second law thermodynamics (Capek & Sheehan, pp.27-29, 2005) are opposite to each other. When one suggests that everything remains the same the other claims that with time, asymmetry occurs and everything is motivated by the asymmetry to react according to their potentials. By observing such a law, the term entropy came into being. Clausius used this term to represent agitation and reaction. Therefore, it came to represent the second law of thermodynamics. Physicists thus started their explanation in terms as the world is active enough to react spontaneously to the changes that happen with in it. Therefore, entropy always remains alive. This is why we say that entropy is the only physical measure that either increases or remains relatively constant. It can never decrease because the reactivity of the world is always present. There is quite an easy example to explain the whole process of entropy under the context of the second law of thermodynamics. When a glass of hot water is placed in a cold room, there is an instant flow of heat from the cup to the room until the reverse process minimizes the effect. This reverse process determines the maximization of entropy. Thus, when we say that the system react to minimize a produced effect, we can surely say that entropy is the quantitative value that measures the randomness of the system. There might have been a great deal of debate in defining entropy without having a single precise concept, but there is less or no controversies in defining the term in the context of the thermodynamic laws (Jones, n.d.). The easy way to know the term is to define it in an equation. The equation to define the phenomenon is: Delta S = Q/T In the above equation, delta S denotes the change in entropy, which is equal to the change or difference in heat (denoted by Q), which is again divided by the temperature which is taken as absolute (denoted by T). Entropy is measurable in the units of Joules/Kelvin (Jones, n.d.). It is quite evident that in a closed system, when heat is added, the molecules would automatically receive energy and they will start moving haphazardly (Berry. pp.178-179, 1991). Even if the system is reversed, and some of the energy is taken out through tricks, the system would never achieve the original state, though it can have relatively less energy but not like the former state. Nevertheless, the suggested concept is that one cannot measure the absolute or accurate entropy but only the change. Thus, a more appropriate equation would be: Delta S = S (b) – S (a) = Q (reversible) / T Thus, it explains us that the heat absorbed per Kelvin in the whole process time to time can give us the actual change is entropy as defined earlier (Berry. pp.178-179, 1991). Therefore, there is always an increase or a constant value. Thus, in thermodynamics, the controversies have been cleared that it is not true that a system cannot get its order back after the production of energy. A relative order can always be achieved by taking out a certain amount of energy and releasing it somewhere else these are the tricks popular in physics. Thus, one more equation, which is represented below reflects the change in energy, temperature and thus the entropy that is always higher or same in measurement. S (initial) is less than or equal to S (Final) (Brissaud, pp. 88, 2005) Here, S is the sum of all the entropy present in each body existing in the entire closed system. The initial level is one with symmetry in the environment and the final level is after the heat production has taken place. Thus, the explanation of entropy alone has been quite unsatisfactory in the circle of theorists and physicists belonging to any part of the world. However, the name given to it as the second law of thermodynamics denoted it as the change that happens in reaction to the heat transmission into a system, which is confined and closed. This is, undoubtedly, a disorder, but a relative order is always achievable after that (Jones, n.d.). References Berry, R. Stephen. 1991. Understanding Energy: Energy, Entropy, and Thermodynamics for Everyman. World Scientific Publishing Co. Brissaud, Jean-Bernard. 2005. “The Meanings of Entropy”. Entropy, Volume 7, Number 1, pp.68-96. Capek, Vladislav & Sheehan, Daniel Peter. 2005. Challenges to the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Theory and Experiment. Springer. Cheng, Yi-chen. 2006. Macroscopic and Statistical Thermodynamics. World Scientific Publishing Co. Jones, Andrw Zimmerman. (n.d.). “Entropy”. Retrieved on March 03, 2011: www.physics.about.com Read More