The second law of thermodynamics as a force law
- The second law of thermodynamics states the increase of entropy, \(\Delta\)S > 0, for real processes from state A to state B at constant energy from chemistry over biological life and engines to cosmic events. The connection of entropy to information, phase-space, and heat is helpful but does not immediately convince observers of the validity and basis of the second law. This gave grounds for finding a rigorous, but more easily acceptable reformulation. Here, we show using statistical mechanics that this principle is equivalent to a force law \(\langle\langle\) f \(\rangle\rangle\) > 0 in systems where mass centers and forces can be identified. The sign of this net force—the average mean force along a path from A to B—determines the direction of the process. The force law applies to a wide range of processes from machines to chemical reactions. The explanation of irreversibility by a driving force appears more plausible than the traditional formulation as it emphasizes the cause instead of the effect of motions.
Author: | Jürgen SchlitterGND |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:294-60089 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3390/e20040234 |
Parent Title (English): | Entropy |
Document Type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of Publication (online): | 2018/07/20 |
Date of first Publication: | 2018/03/28 |
Publishing Institution: | Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsbibliothek |
Tag: | Open Access Fonds arrow of time; chemical dynamics; irreversibility; statistical mechanics |
Volume: | 20 |
Issue: | 4 |
First Page: | 1 |
Last Page: | 7 |
Note: | Article Processing Charge funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Ruhr-Universität Bochum. |
Institutes/Facilities: | Lehrstuhl für Biophysik |
Dewey Decimal Classification: | Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / Physik |
open_access (DINI-Set): | open_access |
faculties: | Fakultät für Biologie und Biotechnologie |
Licence (English): | Creative Commons - CC BY 4.0 - Attribution 4.0 International |