key term - Microstate

Definition

A microstate is a specific, detailed configuration of a system at the molecular level that corresponds to a particular macroscopic state. Each microstate represents one possible arrangement of particles and their energies within the system.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. A single macroscopic state can correspond to many different microstates.
2. The number of microstates is critical for determining the entropy of a system.
3. Increasing the number of microstates generally increases the entropy.
4. Entropy ($S$) is related to the number of microstates ($\Omega$) by Boltzmann's equation: $S = k_B \ln \Omega$, where $k_B$ is Boltzmann's constant.
5. Microstates help explain the statistical interpretation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that systems tend to evolve towards configurations with higher probabilities (more microstates).

Review Questions

Related terms

Macroscopic State: A description of a system using averaged properties like temperature, pressure, and volume, rather than detailed molecular configurations.

Entropy:

A measure of disorder or randomness in a system, defined statistically through the number of possible microstates.

Second Law of Thermodynamics:

States that the total entropy of an isolated system always increases over time, moving towards thermodynamic equilibrium.