Question

Increases in entropy lead to _________.

A)
limitless work output
B)
irreversible changes
C)
energy increases
D)
all of the above

Answer 1

Increases in entropy lead to irreversible changes. The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of a system either increases or remains constant in any process and it never decreases. Entropy is directly related to the fact that not all heat transfer can be converted into work.

Step-by-step explanation:

Increases in entropy lead to irreversible changes. With respect to entropy, there are only two possibilities: entropy is constant for a reversible process, and it increases for an irreversible process. The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of a system either increases or remains constant in any process and it never decreases. Entropy is directly related to the fact that not all heat transfer can be converted into work. When entropy increases, a certain amount of energy becomes permanently unavailable to do work.