Question

Give an example of a spontaneous process in which a system becomes less ordered and energy becomes less available to do work. What happens to the system’s entropy in this process?

a) Melting ice into water.
b) Formation of a crystal from a supersaturated solution.
c) Combustion of wood.
d) Cooling of a hot metal.

Answer 1

Melting of ice into water is a spontaneous process that leads to a decrease in the order of the system and an increase in entropy, as the solid structure becomes a more disorderly liquid.

Step-by-step explanation:

An example of a spontaneous process in which a system becomes less ordered and energy becomes less available to do work is the melting of ice into water. During this process, the highly ordered crystal structure of ice, which is solid, transforms into a less ordered, liquid state.

The disorderly movement of water molecules results in an increase in entropy, which is a measure of disorder and randomness in a system. Due to the absorption of heat from the surroundings, the entropy of the system increases while the energy available for work decreases because the energy is consumed in the phase transition.