Which of the following processes will lead to a decrease in the entropy of the system?
A)Salt crystals dissolve in water.
B)Air escapes from a hole in a balloon.
C)Iron and oxygen react to form rust.
D)Ice melts in your hand.
E)None of these leads to a negative change in the entropy of the system, because they are all spontaneous.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formation of rust involves the bonding of iron and oxygen atoms, resulting in a decrease in the number of free particles and thus a decrease in entropy. The other choices involve an increase in entropy - salt crystals dissolve to form more dispersed ions in solution, air escaping from a balloon results in a more dispersed gas, and ice melting in your hand increases the number of particles and their freedom of movement. Option E is also incorrect, as spontaneity does not necessarily mean a decrease in entropy.

Which of the Following Processes Will Lead to a Decrease