Two identical insulated boxes each contain of nitrogen gas and of oxygen gas at the…
CHEMISTRY · Single correct · A Level · Chemistry · Thermodynamics · Thermodynamics
Problem
Two identical insulated boxes each contain 1.0mol of nitrogen gas and 1.0mol of oxygen gas at the same total pressure and temperature.
• In Box 1, the gases are separated by a fixed, impermeable partition.
• In Box 2, the partition is removed so that the gases form a uniform mixture.
Which statement best compares the entropy of the final states of the gases in the two boxes?
(a) The entropy is the same in both boxes because the total pressure and temperature are identical.
(b) Box 1 has greater entropy because each gas is free to occupy its own compartment independently.
(c) Box 2 has greater entropy because mixing increases the number of accessible microstates.
(d) The entropy change is zero because removing the partition is an isothermal, reversible process.