The following figures represent distributions of two types of gas molecules between two containers connected by an open tube. In which figure is the entropy of the system maximized?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The entropy of a system is directly proportional to the number of available microstates, or ways the system can be arranged while maintaining the same energy and number of particles. In figure C, the gas molecules are evenly distributed between the two containers, which means there are many ways the molecules can be arranged while maintaining the same distribution. This results in a higher number of available microstates and therefore a higher entropy compared to the other figures where the molecules are not evenly distributed.

The Following Figures Represent Distributions of Two Types of Gas