A 0.50kg aluminum block at an initial temperature of 25∘C is gently placed in thermal contact with a very large water reservoir that remains at 95∘C. After sufficient time the block reaches the temperature of the reservoir. The reservoir’s temperature does not change appreciably.
Answer the following questions about the entropy changes associated with this process.
(a) Indicate whether the aluminum block gains or loses thermal energy during the process, and explain your reasoning.
(b) State the sign (positive, negative, or zero) of the entropy change ΔSblock of the aluminum block and justify your choice.
(c) State the sign of the entropy change ΔSreservoir of the water reservoir and justify your choice.
(d) Based on parts (b) and (c), determine the sign of the total entropy change ΔSuniverse for the process. Explain how your conclusion relates to the second law of thermodynamics.