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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2004  > May  >
Chemical Education Today
Letters
Entropy and Constraint of Motion
Frank L. Lambert
Department of Chemistry, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041

Cover
May 2004
Vol. 81 No. 5
p. 640

Full Text

The author replies to Jensen:

William Jensen's presentation of entropy increase as solely due to kinetic energy dispersion is stimulating.

Searching for examples of kinetic energy dispersal causing increase in potential energy, I considered phase change. In fusion, for example, the enthalpy of fusion (KE) breaks or alters bonds in the solid to form liquid and thus the KE has become dispersed as potential energy (PE). However, this does not necessarily controvert Jensen's general point because this is a reversible surroundings–system equilibrium process.

Jensen's development of specific constraints that lead to more or less dispersion may indeed be more useful than my generality of "energy spontaneously disperses, if it is not hindered". I trust that in his use of them (and their application to Sanderson (1) is impressive), he does not allow them generally to support "disorder" as an explanation for entropy increase!

Literature Cited

  1. Sanderson, R. T. J. Chem. Educ. 1964, 41, 13-22.
More Information
*  Citation
Lambert, Frank L. J. Chem. Educ. 2004 81 640.
*  Keywords
General Chemistry; Introductory / High School Chemistry; Physical Chemistry; Textbooks; Thermodynamics
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
April 1, 2004
February 18, 2005
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2004  > May  > Page 640


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