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Dennis Plews
- 36
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The essence of time is change. A driver of change is the 2d Law of Thermodynamics. The expansion of the universe facilitates entropy. These relationships keep me wondering if they are a symmetry. Comments please.
The concept of time, entropy, and change are all interconnected in the study of thermodynamics, which is the branch of physics that deals with the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. Time is the measurement of the duration of events, while entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. Change refers to the alteration or transformation of a system over time. The laws of thermodynamics state that entropy always increases over time, leading to the inevitable change in a system.
The arrow of time is the concept that time only moves in one direction, from past to present to future. Entropy plays a crucial role in this concept because it is responsible for the irreversibility of natural processes. In simple terms, the increase in entropy over time is what gives us the perception of time moving forward and not backward.
In thermodynamics, entropy is often described as a measure of disorder or randomness in a system. This is because systems tend to move towards a state of higher entropy, which is a more disordered state. For example, when you drop a glass, it shatters into many pieces, which is a more disordered state than the original glass. This increase in disorder also corresponds to an increase in entropy.
Entropy cannot be reversed or decreased in a closed system. This is known as the Second Law of Thermodynamics. However, in an open system, where energy can be exchanged with the surroundings, it is possible to decrease entropy in one part of the system while increasing it in another. This is how living organisms maintain order and complexity, by constantly exchanging energy and decreasing their own entropy while increasing the entropy of their surroundings.
The concept of entropy also applies to the universe as a whole. According to the Big Bang theory, the universe started in a state of low entropy, with all matter and energy concentrated in a small, highly ordered point. As the universe expanded and cooled, entropy increased, leading to the formation of stars, galaxies, and eventually, life. It is predicted that eventually, the universe will reach a state of maximum entropy, where all energy is evenly distributed and no work can be done. This is known as the heat death of the universe.