Question

While looking at a very small system, a scientist observes that the entropy of the system spontaneously decreases. If true, is this a Nobelwinning discovery or is it not that significant?

Short answer

Answer: The observation of a spontaneous decrease in entropy for a very small system is not very significant, as fluctuations in entropy are expected in small systems due to statistical variations. This does not challenge our fundamental understanding of the second law of thermodynamics, as, on average, the entropy of the small system will still follow the second law.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Entropy is a measure of the randomness or disorder of a system. In thermodynamics, the second law states that the total entropy of an isolated system can only increase or stay the same over time. This principle is fundamental to our understanding of many natural processes, such as heat flow or gas diffusion, where systems tend to move from ordered states to more disordered ones.

Consideration of small-scale systems

While the second law of thermodynamics is well-established for large-scale macroscopic systems, its application to small systems is more nuanced. Fluctuations in entropy can occur in small systems due to statistical variations, and these fluctuations can temporarily decrease the entropy of the system. However, on average, the entropy of the small system will still follow the second law of thermodynamics.

Analyzing the observation

In the given exercise, a scientist observes that the entropy of a very small system spontaneously decreases. This observation is not necessarily contradictory to the second law of thermodynamics, as fluctuations in entropy can occur in small systems. As long as the average entropy of the system still follows the second law, this observation is not groundbreaking.

Assessing the significance of the observation

The observation of a temporary decrease in entropy for a very small system is not that significant, as it is common and expected for small-scale systems to experience fluctuations in entropy. This would not qualify as a Nobel-winning discovery, as it does not challenge our fundamental understanding of the second law of thermodynamics but rather is a manifestation of the expected statistical variations for small systems.