Black Hole Entropy/Temperature

[Islam Hassan]

In thermodynamics, I assume that any closed system that can be described in terms of individual objects/particles and their associated individual momenta has both entropy and temperature. A priori a black hole seems to me to fit that description of a closed system.

Why was it significant then, to have discovered that black holes can have entropy and temperature? Why, prior to this discovery, did we postulate that perhaps they didn't?


IH

 

[mfb]

In thermodynamics, I assume that any closed system that can be described in terms of individual objects/particles and their associated individual momenta has both entropy and temperature.

It can have a different temperature at different locations, or the entropy could be zero.

 

[Islam Hassan]

It can have a different temperature at different locations, or the entropy could be zero.

Ok, it seems I have a fundamental misunderstanding of what entropy is and is not; the wiki articles are relatively formula-heavy on this matter, would you have a more accessible reference on the matter, and especially on systems that exhibit zero entropy?


IH

 

[mfb]

As an example, every system in its ground-state has zero entropy, if there is just a single ground state.

We have a textbook forum and collections of learning materials if the overview in the wikipedia article does not help.

 

[pmacias]

onestly, the discovery that black holes can have entropy and temperature was significant because it challenged our understanding of thermodynamics and the laws of physics. Prior to this discovery, black holes were thought to be empty voids with only mass and gravitational pull. This led scientists to believe that they did not have any thermodynamic properties, such as entropy and temperature.

However, the discovery of black hole entropy and temperature showed that these objects are not just empty voids, but rather complex systems with a high degree of disorder and energy. This challenged our previous understanding and forced us to rethink our theories and models of thermodynamics.

Furthermore, the discovery of black hole entropy and temperature also had implications for our understanding of the nature of space and time. It showed that black holes are not isolated from the rest of the universe, but rather are connected to it through the concept of entropy. This has opened up new avenues for research and furthered our understanding of the universe as a whole.

Overall, the significance of discovering black hole entropy and temperature lies in the fact that it has expanded our understanding of the laws of physics and the nature of the universe. It has also challenged our previous assumptions and pushed us to think outside the box in order to better understand these mysterious objects.