Where is energy located at maximum entropy if it's conserved?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
Sign up Log in
4 replies · 2K views
voxmagnetar
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
The second law of thermodynamics predicts the end of the life of the universe being one where thermal equilibrium exists throughout the universe (maximum entropy) - essentially all energy has been dissipated. My question is if according to the first law of thermodynamics which describes the conservation of energy (stating that energy cannot be destroyed) - where exactly can the energy be found once the state of maximum entropy has occurred?
 

Discussion

Physics news on Phys.org
voxmagnetar said:
where exactly can the energy be found once the state of maximum entropy has occurred?
Everywhere
 
In what form? All I can imagine is velocity.
 
If you can name some specific examples of exactly what and where the energy is. Roger Penrose states that towards the dying end of the universe the electrons drift away from the protons, the protons themselves eventually break into pieces. My question is that this scenario that Penrose describes doesn't sound like there would be any energy left once the elementary atomic particles disintegrate. In such a scenario as described by Penrose, where exactly if not centered around atomic structures would these be any extant energy?