Entropy change of environment during an irreversible process

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the change in entropy of a thermodynamic environment during an irreversible process, particularly when temperature changes occur. It establishes that for an irreversible process, the relationship ##\Delta S_{gas} \neq -\Delta S_{surroundings}## holds true, as ##\Delta S_{universe} > 0##. The key takeaway is that to determine the entropy change for both the system and surroundings, one must devise separate reversible processes for each, rather than attempting to apply a single reversible process to both simultaneously.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Second Law of Thermodynamics
  • Familiarity with entropy calculations in thermodynamics
  • Knowledge of reversible and irreversible processes
  • Basic principles of ideal gas behavior
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the Second Law of Thermodynamics in detail
  • Learn about calculating entropy changes for irreversible processes
  • Explore the concept of reversible transformations in thermodynamics
  • Investigate the behavior of ideal gases during thermodynamic processes
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in thermodynamics, physicists, and engineers involved in energy systems or chemical processes will benefit from this discussion.

crick
Messages
39
Reaction score
4
What is the change in entropy of thermodynamic environment if it changes its temperature during the process and the process is not reversible?

I'm slightly confused because, on the one side, in that case ##\Delta S_{gas} \neq -\Delta S_{surroundings}##, since ##\Delta S_{universe} >0## but on the other hand ##\Delta S## does not depend on the specific process, so it should be the same as in a reversible one (and, in a reversible process, ##\Delta S_{gas} =-\Delta S_{sourroundings}##).
For istance, for an ideal gas we can calculate ##\Delta S## using a reversible transformation, even if the real transformation it is not.
What am I missing here?

So how can one calculate the entropy change of the environment in such cases?
 
  • Like
Likes Abhijeet Verma
Science news on Phys.org
If you had an irreversible process, to get the entropy change for both the system and surroundings, you will need to separate them and devise a separate reversible process for each of them to determine the entropy change for each. You will not be able to get between the initial and final states of both simultaneously with the same reversible process.
 
  • Like
Likes crick

Similar threads

  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
  • · Replies 60 ·
3
Replies
60
Views
10K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
6K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
3K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K