Entropy & Electrons: No Spin Exist?

In summary: The transformation or decay of an electron must still obey conservation laws and cannot result in a dead or fundamentally different electron. This is because elementary particles are, by definition, elementary and cannot have intrinsic properties like color, flavor, or tiredness. The concept of entropy, which deals with an increase in disorder, does not directly apply to a single elementary particle but rather to large numbers of particles. Therefore, asking about the entropy of an electron does not make sense. In summary, elementary particles like electrons cannot be subject to entropy and do not have the ability to be "dead" or have different intrinsic properties like color or flavor. Their transformation or decay is caused by interactions with other particles and must obey conservation laws.
  • #1
Charles Brown
15
0
Are elemental particles subject to entropy? Are there dead electrons "no spin".
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Could you clarify what your first question means?

There is no such thing as a dead electron. Its spin (1/2) is an intrinsic property and its only change would be direction (1/2 -> -1/2). Electrons in atoms have various energy levels.
 
  • #3
This question is poorly constructed. I think you are asking, "Does an elementary decay?" Yes, elementary particles change into other elementary particles all the time, some more quickly than others. But they must still obey conservation laws as they do so, so an electron could not just loose its spin. Elementary particles are, by definition, elementary. You can not have a red electron or a blue electron or a minty electron, a tired electron, or a dead electron. All photons in the same quantum state are identical. The only way to intrinsically change an electron is to transform it into something else.

Now, the part of entropy that deals with an increase of disorder is a statistical law that applies large numbers of particles, so it does not directly apply to a single elementary particle.
 
  • #4
It's like asking, "What is the friction between two electrons?" The question does not make sense because friction is a phenomenological description of the average behavior of a large collection of particles. Two electrons will repel each other through the regular Coulombic/electric force, but it looks much different than friction.
 
  • #5
Chrisbaird
the question was poorly constructed. The question is what force causes the transformation of the electron.
 
  • #6
You can not have a red electron or a blue electron or a minty electron, a tired electron, or a dead electron.http://www.uklv.info/g.php
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #7
Charles Brown said:
Chrisbaird
the question was poorly constructed. The question is what force causes the transformation of the electron.

Electrons get transformed by interactions with other particles (including photons), but not in isolation.
 

1. What is entropy?

Entropy is a measure of the amount of disorder or randomness in a system. In thermodynamics, it is often described as the tendency of a system to move towards a state of maximum disorder.

2. How does entropy relate to electrons?

In the context of electrons, entropy refers to the randomness or disorder in their distribution within an atom or molecule. The more disordered the electron distribution, the higher the entropy.

3. What is the concept of "no spin" in electrons?

According to the Pauli exclusion principle, no two electrons in an atom can have the same set of quantum numbers, which includes their spin. This means that electrons have a spin of either "up" or "down" and cannot exist in a state of "no spin".

4. How does the concept of "no spin" relate to entropy?

The concept of "no spin" in electrons is relevant to entropy because it affects the randomness or disorder in the electron distribution. If all electrons had the same spin, it would result in a more ordered and therefore lower entropy state.

5. Can entropy be changed or controlled?

Entropy is a natural phenomenon that cannot be changed or controlled at the atomic or molecular level. However, it can be altered on a macroscopic scale through physical or chemical processes. For example, energy can be added or removed from a system to increase or decrease its entropy, respectively.

Similar threads

I Question about orbital and spin magnetic dipole
    • Electromagnetism
Replies
2
Views
1K
B Magnetic Field & Particle Spin: Does It Matter?
    • Electromagnetism
Replies
5
Views
981
I Generating Entangled Electron Pairs
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
6
Views
923
Electron Spin and current-induced magnetic fields
    • Electromagnetism
Replies
18
Views
3K
Magnetic field lines around electron and wire seem to contradict
    • Electromagnetism
Replies
6
Views
865
I Measuring electron spin and measuring entangled electron spin
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
12
Views
896
What Happens to Orbital and Spin Momentum of Free Electrons in Iron?
    • Electromagnetism
Replies
2
Views
1K
I Confusion about the entropy of mixing
    • Thermodynamics
Replies
3
Views
1K
I Classical electron uncertainty
    • Electromagnetism
Replies
14
Views
900
B Can a hypothetical atom be made out of positrons and electrons ?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
9
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top