Understanding Entropy and Its Relationship to Length and Temperature Changes

  • Thread starter Thread starter leright
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Entropy
AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around the change in entropy of a rod as it undergoes length and temperature changes. It is clarified that while the infinitesimal change in entropy is expressed as dS = dQ/T, the change in length does not directly affect entropy if no heat is transferred. The rod's internal energy can change due to work done on it, even if the entropy remains constant under certain conditions, such as adiabatic processes. Participants emphasize that stretching the rod can lead to temperature changes, which indirectly affect internal energy. Ultimately, the relationship between entropy and internal energy is complex, with changes in one not necessarily implying changes in the other.
leright
Messages
1,317
Reaction score
19
ok, so a infinitesimal change in entropy is dS = dQ/T. Differentials are used so that temperature change is neglibible over the change in Q.

Now, I have a homework problem that wants me to express the change in entropy of a rod as a function of length changes and temperature changes. Now, isn't the change in entropy with respect to change in length zero, since dS = dQ/T? The internal energy changes wrt work done on the rod, but it seems the entropy does not? Can someone explain why it does change with length changes? Also, if entropy does change wrt length changes how would I go about determining the entropy changes along an integration path where T is constant??

the force on the rod is F = -aT^2(L-Lo), where Lo is the initial length.

Thanks a lot.
 
Science news on Phys.org
Please guys, I need your help. :(
 
Maybe you should write the exact problem.

Anywho, I took engineering thermo, so I can't help. We only did systems invloving fluids.

Bed time,

Ciao.
 
It mentions that the rod is well insulated, which would obviously mean that the system is isenthalpic (constant heat). This means that dU = dW.

If the rod were constant internal energy then any work done would result in a decrease in the heat content, which would correspond to a temperature change, but the conditions of the problem do not imply constna internal energy.

I lose.
 
Maybe I should just kill myself.
 
Sounds like a good idea.
 
cyrusabdollahi said:
Sounds like a good idea.

haha

no really, I need help.

I figured deltaS = 0.5b((Tf)^2 - (To)^2) = 0, where b is a constant and Tf and Ti are the final and initial temps, respectively. Entropy doesn't seem to have any dependence on length. wtf?

And I thought you were going to bed.
 
Last edited:
Im working on my heat transfer project, leave me alone! Dead people can't post.

I don't know if this helps, but a change in length of the rod is a result of a change in energy of the rod. It can be thermal energy (expansion) or stress energy (strain).
 
cyrusabdollahi said:
Im working on my heat transfer project, leave me alone! Dead people can't post.

I don't know if this helps, but a change in length of the rod is a result of a change in energy of the rod. It can be thermal energy (expansion) or stress energy (strain).

Yes, I realize this. If the internal energy of the rod was constant then work done on the rod would need to have a corresponding change in heat, and therefore a change in entropy. However, this is NOT a constant internal energy condition...it is a constant enthalpy condition, which simply means that the change in internal energy is equal to the work done on the rod. This, however, does not help me.

hmmm...
 
  • #10
ok, let me ask you this. When you stretch a rod, does it change temperature?? If so, why?

This is a constant heat process, btw...but NOT constant U (internal energy)
 
  • #11
leright said:
ok, so a infinitesimal change in entropy is dS = dQ/T. Differentials are used so that temperature change is neglibible over the change in Q.

Now, I have a homework problem that wants me to express the change in entropy of a rod as a function of length changes and temperature changes. Now, isn't the change in entropy with respect to change in length zero, since dS = dQ/T?


Yes. So if you know the answer, what's the problem ? :smile:

If you change the length in a reversible way by applying an external force which will hence only do work, and you don't have any heat transfer, then the process is adiabatic and isentropic.

Of course, if the external force gives rise to an irreversible process (like turning a paddle in a liquid), then there will be an entropy increase (although the process is, strictly speaking, adiabatic but irreversible).
 
  • #12
leright said:
ok, let me ask you this. When you stretch a rod, does it change temperature?? If so, why?

This is a constant heat process, btw...but NOT constant U (internal energy)

Indeed, there will be a change in internal energy equal to the work done by the external force: dU = dQ + dW (if dW is the work done on the system, there can be different sign conventions).
Given that dQ = 0 and dW = F.ds, we have that dU = F.ds

But the internal energy can change while keeping S constant.
As you pointed out correctly, dS = dQ/T (in a reversible process).
Given that dQ = 0, we have that dS = 0, but given that dW is not 0, we have that dU is not 0. There is no contradiction here. S and U are different state functions, and a change in state can result in a change in U and not a change in S.
 
Back
Top