A student compares two situations involving a fragrant liquid
CHEMISTRY · Single correct · AP · Chemistry · Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry · Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry
Problem
A student compares two situations involving a fragrant liquid.
• Situation 1: A 5-mL vial of the liquid is uncorked inside a sealed 1-L container.
• Situation 2: The same 5-mL sample is sprayed into a large, well-ventilated room.
Which of the following statements best explains why the entropy change of the fragrant liquid is larger in Situation 2 than in Situation 1?
(a) Both situations occur at the same temperature, so the entropy change for the liquid must be the same in each case.
(b) The dispersion of the molecules spans a much larger volume in Situation 2, greatly increasing the number of possible positions they can occupy.
(c) Situation 2 uses a spray that introduces tiny aerosol droplets, effectively creating more moles of vapor, and a larger amount of matter always gives the larger entropy change.
(d) Because the room is open to the surroundings, any entropy gained by the liquid is balanced by an equal loss to the environment, so the liquid shows little or no net change in entropy.