Increase Entropy in Sealed, Thermally Insulated Container

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a thermodynamic problem involving a sealed, thermally insulated container divided into two equal volumes, with one side containing an ideal gas. The focus is on determining the change in entropy when the barrier is removed, allowing the gas to expand into the entire volume.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the concept of entropy and its relation to the number of accessible states. There is a discussion about the relevant equations for calculating entropy changes, with some questioning the source and validity of these equations.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants sharing equations and seeking clarification on their origins. There is an acknowledgment of the entropy increase due to the expansion of gas, but no consensus on the derivation or application of the equations has been reached.

Contextual Notes

One participant expresses difficulty with the subject matter, indicating a potential gap in understanding foundational concepts related to thermodynamics and entropy.

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A sealed and thermally insulated container of total volume V is divided into two equal volumes by an impermeable wall. The left half of the container is initially occupied by n moles of an ideal
gas at temperature T. Which of the following gives the change in entropy of the system when
the wall is suddenly removed and the gas expands to fill the entire volume?

thermo is a very weak subject for me... any help is appreciated

I know that entropy is s=k*g where g is the number of accessible states, but I'm not sure where to go from here
 
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\Delta S(T,P)=\frac{3}{2}Nk ln( \frac{T_2}{T_1} ) + Nk ln( \frac{V_2}{V_1} )

This is the state equation for the entropy in terms of temperature and volume. Since the container is thermally insulated, T2=T1 and the first term drops out since ln(1)=0. Since V2 > V1, the second term is positive and the entropy of the system will INCREASE.
 
where did you get this equation from? Is this a standard equation?
 
Look under the entropy section here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideal_gas"
 
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