Which of the following violate(s) the second law of thermodynamics?
A)gasoline engines
B)life
C)nuclear power plants
D)stars such as the sun
E)none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

None of the given options violate the second law of thermodynamics. The second law states that in any energy transfer or transformation, the amount of useful energy decreases and the amount of disorder (or entropy) increases. All the given options follow this law in one way or another. Gasoline engines convert chemical energy to mechanical energy but some of the energy is lost as heat and the entropy of the system increases. Life also follows the second law as organisms take in energy and convert it into forms that can be used to do work, but some of the energy is always lost as heat and the entropy of the system increases. Nuclear power plants use nuclear reactions to generate electricity, but again, some energy is lost as heat and the entropy of the system increases. Stars such as the sun convert hydrogen to helium through nuclear fusion, with the release of energy, but the entropy of the entire system increases as well. Therefore, none of the given options violate the second law of thermodynamics.

Which of the Following Violate(s) the Second Law of Thermodynamics