High-quality energy in natural processes has a tendency to transform into

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is based on the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that energy tends to flow spontaneously from higher-temperature systems to lower-temperature systems, resulting in the loss of some usable energy to the system's surroundings as heat. As a consequence, high-quality energy (i.e., concentrated, organized, and easily convertible) tends to transform into lower quality energy (i.e., dispersed, disorganized, and less convertible) in most natural processes. This is reflected by an increase in the system's entropy, or degree of disorder. While some energy transformations may result in an increase in quality (e.g., solar energy converted into organic compounds by photosynthesis), they are relatively rare and require special conditions. Therefore, the most likely outcome is that high-quality energy will degrade into lower quality energy.

High-Quality Energy in Natural Processes Has a Tendency to Transform