Can Macroscopically Distinguishable Objects Have the Same Entropy?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of entropy as a measure of disorder or distinguishability between macroscopic states. The question is posed whether objects with different atomic structures can have the same entropy, and it is determined that entropy is a single variable and can be adjusted to be the same for objects with different appearances. The definition of entropy being used is the Boltzmann entropy, which measures the number of microstates.
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I'm kinda confused on the concept of entropy of everyday, low entropy states like macroscopic objects. It is said that the entropy is a measure of disorder, or distinguishability between macroscopic states.

Can two objects which are macroscopically distinguishable/look different have the same entropy, despite the fact that their atomic structure/configuration is different? Or the only states which can possesses the same entropy are completely indistinguishable macroscopically?

Thanks in advance.
 
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What definition of entropy are you using?

A house and a football are distinguishable, but I wouldn't say that's to do with having different entropy, per se.
 
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The Boltzmann entropy -the number of microstates.

We can imagine two balls of the same volume but which are macroscopically different - can they have the same entropy?
 
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shimzz5 said:
The Boltzmann entropy -the number of microstates.

We can imagine two balls of the same volume but which are macroscopically different - can they have the same entropy?
Yes, obviously. Entropy is a single variable. One dimension. Macroscopic appearance is multi-dimensional.

Consider a red ball on the one hand and a green ball on the other. Either they already have the same entropy or one can be adjusted in size to have the same entropy as the other.
 
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Related to Can Macroscopically Distinguishable Objects Have the Same Entropy?

1. What is entropy?

Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. In simple terms, it is a measure of the amount of energy that is unavailable to do work.

2. How does entropy relate to everyday objects?

Entropy can be seen in everyday objects as they tend to naturally move towards a state of disorder or randomness. For example, a tidy room will eventually become messy without any intervention because the objects in the room will naturally move towards a more disordered state.

3. Can entropy be reversed?

According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, entropy always increases over time and cannot be reversed. However, energy can be input into a system to decrease the entropy temporarily, but it will eventually increase again.

4. How is entropy measured?

Entropy is typically measured in units of joules per kelvin (J/K) in the SI system. It can also be measured in other units, such as calories per kelvin (cal/K) in the cgs system.

5. How does entropy affect the environment?

As entropy increases, energy becomes less available to do work, which can have a negative impact on the environment. For example, as energy is converted from one form to another, some of it is lost as heat, contributing to global warming. Additionally, the increase in disorder can lead to pollution and other environmental issues.

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