Entropy is a hotly discussed topic... but how can we actually CALCULATE the entropy of a system?
(Note: The written document discussed here can be found in the pinned comment below!)
Hey everyone, I'm back with a new video, and this time it's a bit different to my usual ones! In this video, I discuss the most fun thing about calculating the entropy of a system being analysed with statistical mechanics (the study of systems on the micro / small scale). Counting microstates (or micro states as they're sometimes written) is the most challenging and interesting part of analysing a system. This involves trying to account for all possible arrangements, all possible configurations, of a system.
If you've seen my previous video, titled "Entropy: A Deeper Understanding", you'll recall that we have to count all possible micro states of a system, after which we can take its natural logarithm and multiply this by the Boltzmann constant in order to get a numerical value for the entropy of the system. That video can be found here: • Is ENTROPY Really a "M...
You might also remember that for that particular video, I wrote up a little document containing 5 questions designed to give you a better understanding of the topic of entropy. The first of those questions was aimed at counting all the possible micro states of a given system, and that is the question we discuss in this video. I highly recommend you attempt all of the questions in the worksheet, which can be found IN THE PINNED COMMENT BELOW :)
I am also planning on uploading videos going through detailed solutions to all questions on that worksheet, over on my BRAND NEW PATREON PAGE! Please do feel free to head over there and support my channel if that's something that would interest you! Find me at: / parthg
It's worth noting that the method I've used in this video is best described as logical counting of micro states. There are ways to make the mathematics easier, using permutations and combinations, but there's no better way to get a really intuitive grasp of entropy than to simply count micro states. Also, this method is not restricted to the abstract particle-in-a-box model used in this video! We can even use this to calculate the entropy of a system of coins being tossed, for example.
With all that being said, I hope you enjoy this video! If you do, please hit the thumbs up and feel free to subscribe to my channel for more fun physics content. Also, follow me on Instagram over @parthvlogs