Question

Suppose 20 g of ice at 0°C is added to 300 g of water at 60°C. What is the total change in entropy of the mixture after it reaches thermal equilibrium?

a) Positive
b) Negative
c) Zero
d) None of these

Answer 1

The entropy change of the mixture of ice at 0°C and water at 60°C after reaching thermal equilibrium is positive because entropy increases as the ice melts and becomes less ordered. The correct answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question posed relates to the entropy change of a mixture of ice and water after they reach thermal equilibrium. To find the total change in entropy of the mixture, we would consider the entropy change due to the melting of ice and the entropy change of the water cooling down.

Melting ice at 0°C causes an increase in entropy because the ice gains heat and transitions to a less ordered state (liquid water). The cooling of water from 60°C to the equilibrium temperature also results in an entropy change.

Since entropy is a measure of randomness or disorder in a system, processes like melting ice, which goes from a more ordered (solid) to a less ordered (liquid) state, generally result in a positive entropy change.

Therefore, when 20 g of ice at 0°C is mixed with 300 g of water at 60°C, the total entropy of the mixture will increase, indicating that the correct answer is (a) Positive.