physics: thermodynamics

[nancy9494]

Found some gold while reading about entropy in my physics textbook. click the link to read about Physicist Ken Libbrecht's research on snowflakes!

 

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/

excerpt from the book: (some background. enjoy )

"The incredible structures you see in snowflakes are all examples of how such crystals can form when they

grow. The great variety of structures you see come about because the conditions for crystal growth are

each time just a bit different. In a laboratory it is possible to make the conditions very stable, and hence to

repeatedly grow the same kinds of snowflakes. These amazing structures form completely by chance,

through the operation of the same thermodynamic laws which guarantee that gas atoms released in a box

will spread uniformly through it. They do so because, although the final structure of the atoms in these

snowflakes is extremely ordered, the final distribution of the energy which they once possessed is vastly

more disordered. Taken together, entropy has increased."

[studiot]

Good morning, Nancy and thank you for your contribution.

 

Since you haven't asked a question I will ask one.

 

Entropy may change in the formation of a snowflake, but what about symmetry?

 

Does it change and if so, does it increase or decrease?

 

The reason for the correct answer to this stems from the same reason that a snowflake is more 'ordered'.