Here’s a explanation:
Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system. Statistical thermodynamics connects entropy to the number of microstates (ways the particles can be arranged).
- A microstate is a specific arrangement of all the particles in a system.
- The more microstates available, the higher the disorder.
Relationship:
- Entropy increases as the number of microstates increases.
- In other words, a system with many possible arrangements of its particles has higher entropy than one with few arrangements.
Example:
- Ice (solid water) → molecules are fixed → few microstates → low entropy.
- Water (liquid) → molecules move freely → many microstates → higher entropy.
- Steam (gas) → molecules move very freely → even more microstates → highest entropy.
In short:
The greater the number of ways particles can be arranged (microstates), the higher the entropy of the system.