Question

A new soft drinks bottle is opened allowing gas to escape into the atmosphere. As the gas escapes, its degree of disorder increases. Identify by which of the following laws this can be explained?
A) First law of thermodynamics (conservation of energy)
B) Second law of thermodynamics (law of entropy)
C) Ideal gas law
D) Heat engine efficiency.

Answer 1

Hint:As given in the question, the gases escape into the atmosphere leading to an increase in the degree of disorderness, thus we will have to look for the law that supports the same.
Second law of thermodynamics states that total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over the time.
Entropy is also the measure of level of disorder of a system.
Second law of thermodynamics also states the law, in which time moves.

Complete step by step answer:
When a new soft drink bottle is opened, the gases escape into the atmosphere causing an increase in entropy.
This increase in entropy in turn increases the disorderliness in the system with passage of time.
We know that the second law of thermodynamics talks about entropy. It also implies that time flows in such a way so as to increase the disorder.
Therefore, we can say that option (b) is correct.
Option (A) is incorrect because it states that energy can never be created nor destroyed, but can be converted from one form to the other.
Option (C) is also incorrect as the ideal gas law does not indicate anything regarding entropy or disorderliness. Thus, it is not the correct option.
Option (D) is also incorrect as a heat engine is a system that converts heat energy to mechanical energy, thus cannot provide suitable reasoning to the above statement.

Option (B) Second law of thermodynamics (law of entropy) is correct.

Note: Second law of thermodynamics is very important as it also suggests that entropy of a system dictates whether the system would be spontaneous or not.
Second law of thermodynamics also states that the entropy of a system cannot be negative.