An avalanche of ice and snow of mass 1 800 kg slides a vertical distance of 160 m down a mountainside.If the temperature of the ice,snow,mountain and surrounding air are all at 0 $\degree$C,what is the change in entropy of the universe?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The change in entropy of the universe can be calculated using the equation:
ΔS = Q/T, where Q is the heat absorbed/released by the system, and T is the temperature of the surroundings.
In this case, the system is the avalanche, and the surroundings are the mountain and air at 0°C.
The heat absorbed by the avalanche can be calculated using the formula:
Q = mgh, where m is the mass of the avalanche, g is acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the mountain.
Q = (1800 kg) x (9.8 m/s^2) x (160 m) = 2,764,800 J
ΔS = Q/T = 2,764,800 J / 273 K = 10,131.7 J/K
Rounding off to the nearest thousand, we get:
ΔS = 10,000 J/K, which is option B.

An Avalanche of Ice and Snow of Mass 1 800 °\degree°

An Avalanche of Ice and Snow of Mass 1 800 $\degree$