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Section 4: Third Law of Thermodynamics Nguyen Minh Tri (11221)

According to the definition of entropy, the


entropy increase of a heat reservoir is the heat
added to the reservoir divided by its absolute
temperature, as the temperature of the Engine
reservoir becomes very low, just a little heat
added to it produces a very large entropy
increase. A reversible heat engine operating with
such a reservoir becomes more and more

efficient ( = 1 ) until, with a cold Figure 2.4.1 Carnot engine: The engine takes

reservoir at absolute zero (0K), a heat engine heat (QH) from a hot reservoir at temperature
could convert heat into work with 100% TH, Converses part of it into work (W), and the
efficiency! [1] remaining heat (QC) is then transferred to a
cold reservoir at temperature TC. With 100%
efficient engine, no heat will be transferred to
The statement above violates The Second the cold reservoir; without internal kinetic
Law, which requires net energy degradation in energy, TC will then equal 0K. The 2nd Laws of
any real process. Thus any reservoir at 0K cannot Thermodynamics indicates that no such
exist. This lead to the birth of The Third Law of engine exit.
Thermodynamics. The Third Law can be
expressed as following:

It is impossible to reach 0K in a finite number of steps.

Concerning to entropy, The Third Law allow us to discuss absolute entropy, rather than just entropy
change. We know that at absolute zero, the system must be in a state with the minimum possible
energy. Which means the system must be in minimum energy state, without any chaos or disordering.
Hence the entropy of the system must be also minimized. Such material which have minimum
disordering must be one that is very ordered; scientists have concluded that such kind of material must
be a perfectly pure and symmetric crystal. From that, we can restate the Third Law more formally,
concerning to entropy:

The entropies of all pure, perfectly crystalline materials approach zero


as temperature approaches 0 Kelvins

In reality, such kind of crystal does not exist. Thus the second expression about The Third Law is just
hold true theoretically.

In conclusion, although human has come very close to the absolute zero, The Third Law of
Thermodynamics is the statement proving the impossibility of any attempt to reach the exact zero
Kelvin.

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