Question

You see a movie in which a shallow puddle of water coalesces into a perfectly cubical ice cube. How do you know the movie is being played backwards? Otherwise, what physical principle would be violated?

Short answer

A violation of the second rule of thermodynamics would be very unlikely; the entropy of the Universe is lowered as a result of this process.

Step-by-step solution

Concept of the second law of thermodynamics

More and more energy is lost in the process of converting a source of heat into a new one.

A thermodynamic law is one of four that define the connection between thermal energy (heat), as well as other types of energy, and how they interact with matter.

Evaluating entropy

Entropy is the method for determining the level of order in a system if we increase the entropy of any system, the change in the thermodynamic system's state of disorder that occurs when heat or enthalpy is converted into work.

Thus, the second law of thermodynamics will be violated.