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What is Entropy?

Preprint · May 2019

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.14036.04486

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What is Entropy?

Tang Suye1
e -mail: [email protected]
26 May 2019
For an ideal gas or a photon gas, we prove that the physical meaning of the entropy is a double distribution
function associated with the energy level distribution of the heat energy and the density distribution of the
heat energy or the particles, S is directly proportional to the dispersion degrees of the double distribution.

I. INTRODUCTION In Eq.(3), q/iN denotes the average kinetic energy per

degree of freedom of the gas particles.
Thermodynamic entropy is only associated with one N N X
i
type of the internal energy, but not all,1 similar to that
X X
q= j = j(s) = iN ¯j(s) , (4)
heat δQ and work δW are the two different types of j=1 j=1 s=1
the energies in transfer, δQ/T is the entropy of δQ, but
δW/T makes no sense, this fact shows, for the function S, where j is the kinetic energy of the particle j, and s
an explicit definition which indicates the physical mean- denotes the degrees of freedom of the particles.
ings of the entropy must be dependent on a complete Such that, we have
classification for the internal energy.  N i 
However, in classical thermodynamics, the classifica- 2q 2 1 XX 2
T = = j = ¯j(s) , (5)
tion for the internal energy is incomplete, therefore, we iN k k iN j=1 s=1 (s) k
have only the equation of the entropy, but there is no
an explicit definition of the function S, as I.Prigogine where the items in the round brackets denote the average
indicated that “Now entropy is a very strange concept kinetic energy per degree of freedom of the gas particles.
without hoping to achieve a complete description.”2 Eq.(3) thus can be rewritten as
In recent articles,1,3 we define a new state function, the i Nk Nk
heat energy, denotes the energy of thermal motion, thus, dS = dq + dV
the energy classification for the internal energy has been 2 q V
N i
completed, by this progress, we prove that the entropy is k X X dj(s) Nk
only associated with the heat energy but not all of the = + dV. (6)
2 j=1 s=1 ¯j(s) V
internal energy, and according to an explicit definition,
thermodynamic entropy is a comprehensible concept, it Using the real kinetic energy of each degree of freedom
implies, a complete description is in prospect. of the gas particles j(s) instead of the average kinetic
energy of each degree of freedom ¯j(s) , using
II. DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION: AN IDEAL GAS 2
Tj(s) = j , (7)
k (s)
In classical thermodynamics, the entropy of an ideal denotes the real temperature of each degree of freedom
gas or a photon gas is given by the equation of the gas particles, it follows that
dU pdV N i
dS = + , (1) k X X dj(s) Nk
T T dS = + dV. (8)
where S is the entropy, U is the internal energy, p is the 2 j=1 s=1 j(s) V
pressure, V is the volume, and T is the temperature.
N i
We define the energy of thermal motion as heat energy, k XX
symbolized by q, for an ideal gas or a photon gas, we have S= ln j(s) + N k ln V
2 j=1 s=1
q = U , the equation thus becomes1
N i N
dq pdV k YY Y
dS = + . (2) = ln j(s) + k ln Vj . (9)
T T 2 j=1 s=1 j=1
For an ideal gas, T =2q/iN k, pV =N kT , we get
In Eq.(8), N/V is the density of the particles.
i Nk Nk In dj(s) /j(s) , j(s) is the energy level of the degree
dS = dq + dV, (3)
2 q V of freedom s of the particle j, dj(s) /j(s) denotes that
where i denotes the number of the degrees of freedom dj(s) is distributed at the energy level j(s) , so the first
of the gas particles, N denotes the number of the gas logarithm item in Eq.(9) denotes the sum of the energy
particles, and k is Boltzmann constant. level distributions of all dj(s) , and the second logarithm
 2

item in Eq.(9) is the sum of the logarithm of the free The physical meaning of Eq.(18) is that the conversion
space of the particle j motion Vj . potential1 pdV is equal to dq/3 in the path of pV work.
QN Qi
It is easy to prove that j=1 s=1 j(s) is proportional By the photon gas equation
to the average degree of the energy level distributions of ζ(4)
QN Qi
all dj(s) ,4 the bigger j=1 s=1 j(s) , the more average pV = N kT, (19)
ζ(3)
for the energy level distributions of all dj(s) .
Assume there are two arbitrary degrees of freedom where ζ(3) and ζ(4) are the Riemann zeta functions.
j(s) = x and j(s) = y, consider x ≥ y , the sum of the Consider q=3pV and T =q/iN R{k} , by Eq.(1), Eq.(2)
kinetic energy of the two degrees of freedom is constant and Eq.(18), we have that1
x + y = a. (10) iN R{k} iN R{k}
dS = dq + dq, (20)
x − y = ∆x−y ≥ 0. (11) q 3q
where R{k} =[ζ(4)/ζ(3)]k is a system constant.
From Eq.(10) and Eq.(11), we have
Similar to Eqs.(4)-(7), we have
1
x = (a + ∆x−y ). (12) N X
i
2 X
q= j(s) = iN ¯j(s) . (21)
1
y = (a − ∆x−y ). (13) j=1 s=1
2
q 1
Such that, we obtain T = = ¯j . (22)
iN R{k} R{k} (s)
1 1
x · y = (a + ∆x−y ) · (a − ∆x−y ) Using Tj(s) denotes the real temperature of the degree
2 2
of freedom s of the photon j.
1 2 2
= (a − ∆x−y ). (14) 1
4 Tj(s) = j . (23)
R{k} (s)
∂ 1
(x · y )j(s)6=x ,j(s)6=y = − ∆x−y ≤ 0. (15) The similar equations can be written as
∂(∆x−y ) 2
N X
i N X i
dj(s) 1 dj(s)
By Eq.(15), (x · y ) is a monotonic decreasing function
X X
dS = R{k} + R{k} . (24)
of ∆x−y , the smaller ∆x−y , the bigger (x · y ), thus, j=1 s=1
j(s) 3 
j=1 s=1 j(s)
QN Qi
j=1 s=1 j(s) is directly proportional to the average N X
X i
1 XN X i
degree of the energy level distributions of all dj(s) . S = R{k} ln j(s) + R{k} ln j(s)
QN 3
For j=1 Vj , it is easy to confirm that the bigger Vj , j=1 s=1 j=1 s=1
the more dispersion for the particles. 4 YN Y i
The entropy of an ideal gas is a double distribution = R{k} ln j(s) . (25)
function, describes the average or dispersion degrees of 3 j=1 s=1
heat distribution and the gas particles distribution.
The other conclusions are similar to an ideal gas.

III. DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION: A PHOTON GAS

IV. DISCUSSION: CONVERSION POTENTIAL

For a photon gas, the number of photons is the function

According to Eqs.(2), (3), (9) and Eqs.(20), (25), the
of two independent variables T and V , so the number of
physical meaning of the entropy is a double distribution,
photons is a dependent variable, and is not conserved.
the first item of the definition describes the sum of the
By Eq.(2), q=U =αT 4 V and p=αT 4 /3, we have
energy level distribution of the heat energy dj(s) , the
dq = d(αT 4 V ) = 4αT 3 V dT + αT 4 dV. (16) second item of the definition represents the energy level
distribution of the conversion potential pdV .

1 ∂q
 
1 ∂q

p In a recent article,1 pV is defined to be a conversion
dS = dT + dV + dV potential, where p denotes the heat partial pressure, by
T ∂T V T ∂V T T
the state functions of an ideal gas and a photon gas we
1 1 1 can know that p is directly proportional to the density of
= 4αT 3 V dT + αT 4 dV + αT 4 dV. (17)
T T 3T the internal heat energy for a given system.
where α is a constant, we have from Eq.(17) In the same article,1 we classify the internal energy into
  the two types, the heat energy and the free energy, the
1 1 ∂q 1 heat energy q has some quality dissipation, this quality
pdV = αT 4 dV = dV = dq. (18)
3 3 ∂V T 3 dissipation can be measured by the entropy S, and in
 3

contrast, the free energy has no quality dissipation, the For an ideal gas, the number of the gas particles is a
entropy of which is equal to zero. conserved quantity, the internal heat energy is only the
Since the quality dissipations are different, if the heat function of the temperature T , the partial derivative
energy converts into the free energy, it requires a quality  
compensation, thus, the process can only progress by the ∂q
= 0. (28)
aid of the dissipation of the conversion potential. ∂V T
Assume that the state of an ideal gas changes from A
to A+dA, compare different paths. The energy level distribution of the conversion poten-
Path one: heat transfer at constant volume, we have tial pdV is only associated with the particle density that

dq = δQ, (26) pdV Nk

= dV. (29)
T V
where dq is the increment in the internal heat energy of
the system, δQ is the heat energy in transfer, there is no For a photon gas, since N is the function of the inde-
energy conversion, so the changes in the entropy pendent variables T and V , the number of photons is not
conserved, the partial derivative [∂q/∂V ]T 6= 0, and
dq/T δQ/T.
 
Path two: reversible volume work, we have 1 ∂q
p= . (30)
3 ∂V T
dq = δW, (27)
It follows that
where δW is the mechanical free energy in transfer, and  
dq δW denotes energy conversion, the entropy of dq is pdV 1 ∂q 1 dq
= dV = . (31)
dq/T , but the entropy of δW is equal to zero. T 3T ∂V T 3T
In path two, the conversion potential pdV will be con-
sumed, corresponding to an additional state change in The energy level distribution of the conversion poten-
the heat energy density or the particle density, since the tial pdV is associated with the heat energy density.
dissipation of the conversion potential is a part of the
energy conversion process, this state change should be
included in the total changes of the system state. V. DISCUSSION: GENERAL DESCRIPTION

dq + pdV δW. The quality dissipation of heat energy is expressed by

a double distribution function, one is the energy level
This is a relation of the dissipative compensation, not distribution, another one is the density distribution, and
a equation of energy conservation, where, pdV represents the entropy S describes the sum of these two distribution,
the change of the conversion potential, not the amount the function S is directly proportional to the average or
of energy, the physical meaning of the relation is that the dispersion degrees of the double distribution.
heat energy dq + the quality compensation pdV converts The driving forces that change the double distribution
into the mechanical free energy in transfer δW . come from the temperature gradient ∆T and the density
The changes of the entropy in path two gradient ∆p, in an irreversible process, the gradients ∆T
and ∆p spontaneously tend to zero, these are the two
dq/T pdV /T forms of heat diffusion, and are the two sources of irre-
versibility. In the latter form of heat diffusion, it often
This relation establishes a compensation mechanism, take the form of the matter particles diffusion.
dq/T is the entropy of dq, when dq converts into δW via Since the heat energy is a non-conserved quantity,
pV work, dq/T will convert into pdV /T at the same time. the change in the amount of heat energy usually comes
In a reversible process, the dissipation of the conver- from energy conversion, in an irreversible process, the
sion potential pdV is equal to −δW =−dq, whereas, in an efficiency of compensation is less than 100% in energy
irreversible process, we have pdV ≥ −δW , in this sense, conversion,1 this is the third source of irreversibility.
pdV is not the increment of an energy function, the heat
partial pressure p is the function of the density of the
heat energy, the dissipation of the conversion potential
—————————————————————
pdV can progress without a volume work. 1 Tang Suye arXiv:1201.4284v7
For different systems, the energy level distribution of 2 I.Prigogine Naturwissenschaften, volume 76, (1989)
the heat energy has a same function form, in other hand, 3 Tang Suye DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.30240.79362

the function forms of the energy level distribution of the 4 Tang Suye Tackling a Century Mystery: Entropy, 2nd ed. (Hefei:

conversion potential are different. University of Science & Technology of China, 2008)

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