Which of the following processes leads to increase in entropy?
Answer Details
Entropy is a thermodynamic quantity that measures the degree of randomness or disorder in a system. In general, any process that results in an increase in the number of energetically equivalent ways to arrange the components of a system is likely to lead to an increase in entropy.
So, to answer the question above, we need to determine which of the given processes results in an increase in the number of energetically equivalent ways to arrange the components of the system.
- Mixing a sample of NaCl and sand: This process does not increase the number of energetically equivalent ways to arrange the components of the system. So, it does not lead to an increase in entropy.
- Condensation of water vapour: This process involves the conversion of water vapour to liquid water, which results in an increase in the number of energetically equivalent ways to arrange the molecules of water. So, it leads to an increase in entropy.
- Boiling a sample of water: This process involves the conversion of liquid water to water vapour, which results in an increase in the number of energetically equivalent ways to arrange the molecules of water. So, it leads to an increase in entropy.
- Cooling a saturated solution: This process does not increase the number of energetically equivalent ways to arrange the components of the system. So, it does not lead to an increase in entropy.
Therefore, the processes that lead to an increase in entropy are the condensation of water vapour and the boiling of a sample of water.