Question

Which situation represents the lowest entropy of a deck of playing cards?

O

A. In four piles, organized by suit

O

B. Scattered over the ground

C. In order of face value

O

D. A house of cards

Answer 1

D. A house of cards

Step-by-step explanation:

I got this question correct, so let me explain why it's right. Entropy is a measure of the randomness/disorder of a system. In this situation, we want to know which situation has the LOWEST entropy, which means the LOWEST randomness/disorder.

So automatically, we know it's not B, as the cards are just randomly spread all over the ground, which represents an increased entropy. Additionally, we know it's D because in a house of cards, all of the cards are given a very specific, orderly location. Thus, the entropy of the system would be LOW, as the randomness is also LOW. Knowing all of that, it makes sense that the correct answer is D.