Question

Which of the following is true for some, but not all, spontaneous processes?

a) Increase in entropy
b) Decrease in energy
c) Absorption of heat
d) Reversible reaction

Answer 1

The correct answer is a) Increase in entropy. Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system, and in spontaneous processes, the total entropy of a system either increases or remains constant.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is a) Increase in entropy.

Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. In spontaneous processes, the total entropy of a system either increases or remains constant, but it never decreases. However, not all spontaneous processes have a decrease in energy, absorption of heat, or are reversible reactions.

For example, when a gas expands from a small volume to fill a larger volume, the randomness or disorder of the system increases, leading to an increase in entropy. This is a spontaneous process, as it occurs without any external intervention and is not reversible.