Which of the following statements is a logical consequence of the second law of thermodynamics?

A) If the entropy of a system increases, there must be a corresponding decrease in the entropy of the universe.

B) If there is an increase in the energy of a system, there must be a corresponding decrease in the energy of the rest of the universe.

C) Every energy transfer requires activation energy from the environment.

D) Every chemical reaction must increase the total entropy of the universe.

E) Energy can be transferred or transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

Question

Physics

Gisselle Zamora

2 May, 19:02

Which of the following statements is a logical consequence of the second law of thermodynamics?

A) If the entropy of a system increases, there must be a corresponding decrease in the entropy of the universe.

B) If there is an increase in the energy of a system, there must be a corresponding decrease in the energy of the rest of the universe.

C) Every energy transfer requires activation energy from the environment.

D) Every chemical reaction must increase the total entropy of the universe.

E) Energy can be transferred or transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

+3

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Micaela Francis · Answer 1

Answer: D) Every chemical reaction must increase the total entropy of the universe.

Explanation:

According to the second law of thermodynamics:

"The amount of entropy in the universe tends to increase over time".

That is, in any cyclic process, entropy will increase, or remain the same.

So, in this context, entropy is a thermodynamic quantity defined as a criterion to predict the evolution or transformation of thermodynamic systems. In addition, it is used to measure the degree of organization of a system.

In other words: Entropy is the measure of the disorder of a system and is a function of state.

According to this, every chemical reaction must increase the total entropy of the universe.