Final answer:
A uniform-temperature gas is more orderly and structured compared to a gas with regions of different temperatures, which is more disordered. Heat transfer can result in work, but a temperature difference is needed to harness this energy. The correct answer is b) Uniform-temperature gas is more orderly; several temperatures are less structured.
Step-by-step explanation:
In answering the question of whether a uniform-temperature gas is more or less orderly than one with several different temperatures, one must consider the concepts of entropy and disorder. A uniform-temperature gas is inherently more orderly because it has a consistent distribution of molecular speeds and energy levels throughout.
Contrast this with a gas that contains regions of different temperatures; this gas would have a variety of molecular speeds and energy distributions, leading to a more disordered state. As for which is more structured, we can say that the uniform-temperature gas has more structure due to its orderliness.
Regarding the ability to do work without heat transfer from another system, it is a foundational principle of thermodynamics that heat transfer can result in work done, but there must be a temperature difference for this to occur.
Heat naturally flows from hot to cold, and it is this flow, or gradient, that can be harnessed to do work. Therefore, in a system with uniform temperature, there is no gradient to exploit, and spontaneous work cannot be performed without an external input of energy. Thus, the correct answer is b) Uniform-temperature gas is more orderly; several temperatures are less structured.