Consider all possible isothermal contractions of an ideal gas. The change in entropy of the gas:
A) is zero for all of them
B) does not decrease for any of them
C) does not increase for any of them
D) increases for all of them
E) decreases for all of them

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In an isothermal contraction of an ideal gas, the volume decreases while the temperature remains constant. According to the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy of the system decreases because the gas is being compressed, leading to a decrease in the number of accessible microstates.

Consider All Possible Isothermal Contractions of an Ideal Gas