Is Entropy Zero at Absolute Zero?

[Delzac]

Hi all,

first of all i would wish to take reference from this thread.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=129153"

Can someone answer this qns...since atoms at absolute zero can still be vibrating, the entropy will be not zero for all molecules in this world at 0 K right?

Q 1. Pls ans simply, as in give a yes or no ans 1st, then explain, i am quite confused in this topic...:P

Any help will be appreciated!

 

[Delzac]

Q2 .another qns, it is said that a perfect crystal will have zero entropy at 0 K, but shouldn't it have some form of vibrational energy in it(Zero-point energy), with a bit of motion, there should be more that one way to arrange the molecules...so how can it have zero entropy?

 

[kyle8921]

Hi there,

To answer your question, yes, the entropy will not be zero for all molecules in the world at absolute zero temperature. This is because even at absolute zero, the atoms and molecules will still have some residual energy due to quantum effects. This residual energy can result in small vibrations or movements within the molecules, which contributes to the overall entropy of the system.

To explain further, entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. At absolute zero, the molecules are in their lowest energy state and are not moving. However, due to quantum mechanical effects, the molecules can still have some residual energy and can vibrate or rotate slightly. This residual energy contributes to the overall disorder or randomness in the system, and therefore, the entropy is not zero.

I hope this helps to clarify your confusion. Let me know if you have any other questions.