Entropy Defined
The following is a brief examination of the Merriam Webster Dictionary definition of ‘entropy’ and its importance in the biblical Creation account.
There are five (5) distinct aspects to the specific definition of entropy in the field of thermodynamics. These are:
1. A measure of the unavailable energy in a closed thermodynamic system.
2. A measure of the system’s disorder.
3. A property of the system’s state.
4. A property that varies directly with any reversible change in heat in the system.
5. A property that varies inversely with the temperature of the system.
In general, these five distinct aspects of entropy can be summed up in one collective statement in which entropy may be more broadly defined as ‘the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system’.
There are five (5) distinct aspects to the specific definition of entropy in the field of thermodynamics. These are:
1. A measure of the unavailable energy in a closed thermodynamic system.
2. A measure of the system’s disorder.
3. A property of the system’s state.
4. A property that varies directly with any reversible change in heat in the system.
5. A property that varies inversely with the temperature of the system.
In general, these five distinct aspects of entropy can be summed up in one collective statement in which entropy may be more broadly defined as ‘the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system’.
Item #1 – The Measure of Unavailable Energy in a Closed Thermodynamic System
A ‘closed system’ is defined as one in which there are no additional outside acting forces or agents. In other words, in a closed system, nothing else but the components of the system itself has any affect on its processes and outcomes. An outside agent can do any one of the following to a closed system initially:
1. Create it.
2. Initiate it.
3. Power it.
4. Direct it.
However, a closed system by definition is closed. This means once it has been set into motion it is on its own until it eventually runs out of energy or fails. All of the energy started with at the beginning is the most it will ever have. As it begins to use its own energy to continue through its processes more energy will be consumed and less will be available to continue the processes.
When we speak of ‘unavailable’ energy, it is not the same thing as ‘non-existent’ energy. Energy can exist in one of many forms in abundance; however, it may not be ‘available’ for use by a specific process unless it is first prepared for or directed to that process.
To illustrate this with a simple example, the average automobile still runs on gasoline. As long as gasoline is available in the fuel tank, the automobile engine (and all of the systems dependent upon the engine for energy) will be able to function. However, if the automobile runs out of gasoline it will no longer function. Even though there may be several cans of gasoline in the trunk of the automobile, until someone (an ‘outside’ force or agent) pours fuel from the cans in to the automobile, it will not function.
The fallacy that often occurs in secular science with regard to this first aspect of entropy is that when it comes to a supposedly ‘unknown’ process such as abiogenesis, is that ‘existing energy’ = ‘available energy’. This is simply untrue, and does not even work by the most basic thermodynamic application of entropy.
A ‘closed system’ is defined as one in which there are no additional outside acting forces or agents. In other words, in a closed system, nothing else but the components of the system itself has any affect on its processes and outcomes. An outside agent can do any one of the following to a closed system initially:
1. Create it.
2. Initiate it.
3. Power it.
4. Direct it.
However, a closed system by definition is closed. This means once it has been set into motion it is on its own until it eventually runs out of energy or fails. All of the energy started with at the beginning is the most it will ever have. As it begins to use its own energy to continue through its processes more energy will be consumed and less will be available to continue the processes.
When we speak of ‘unavailable’ energy, it is not the same thing as ‘non-existent’ energy. Energy can exist in one of many forms in abundance; however, it may not be ‘available’ for use by a specific process unless it is first prepared for or directed to that process.
To illustrate this with a simple example, the average automobile still runs on gasoline. As long as gasoline is available in the fuel tank, the automobile engine (and all of the systems dependent upon the engine for energy) will be able to function. However, if the automobile runs out of gasoline it will no longer function. Even though there may be several cans of gasoline in the trunk of the automobile, until someone (an ‘outside’ force or agent) pours fuel from the cans in to the automobile, it will not function.
The fallacy that often occurs in secular science with regard to this first aspect of entropy is that when it comes to a supposedly ‘unknown’ process such as abiogenesis, is that ‘existing energy’ = ‘available energy’. This is simply untrue, and does not even work by the most basic thermodynamic application of entropy.
Item #2 – The Measure of Disorder in a System
Referring back to the automobile engine, when gasoline is burned in order to power the engine the resulting chemical reaction produces hot expanding gases that push the pistons and turn the drive shaft of the vehicle. This is the expended energy from the process. Once this ‘combustion’ process is complete the spent gases are expelled through the engine exhaust because they are no longer useful to the system. To allow the gases to remain present would be to allow a hot substance that contains some existing ‘heat’ energy; however, this is not a type of ‘available’ energy that can be used in the combustion process.
Now, instead of being a small and compact quantity of liquid, after being burned it has become a gas that has expanded to many times its original size containing particles that tend to move away from one another. Rather than attempting to reorder themselves the expended gas particles continue to move further away from one another. This dispersion is an example of the natural tendency toward disorder that all matter demonstrates when molecular bonds are broken.
For this reason we sometimes simply define entropy as the natural tendency toward disorder of all elements in the physical universe which are not otherwise held in place or given an order by another force or agent.
Referring back to the automobile engine, when gasoline is burned in order to power the engine the resulting chemical reaction produces hot expanding gases that push the pistons and turn the drive shaft of the vehicle. This is the expended energy from the process. Once this ‘combustion’ process is complete the spent gases are expelled through the engine exhaust because they are no longer useful to the system. To allow the gases to remain present would be to allow a hot substance that contains some existing ‘heat’ energy; however, this is not a type of ‘available’ energy that can be used in the combustion process.
Now, instead of being a small and compact quantity of liquid, after being burned it has become a gas that has expanded to many times its original size containing particles that tend to move away from one another. Rather than attempting to reorder themselves the expended gas particles continue to move further away from one another. This dispersion is an example of the natural tendency toward disorder that all matter demonstrates when molecular bonds are broken.
For this reason we sometimes simply define entropy as the natural tendency toward disorder of all elements in the physical universe which are not otherwise held in place or given an order by another force or agent.
Item #3 – The Property of the State of a System
Perhaps the means by which we can most readily observe the general principle of entropy in action is by viewing a material through the three phases of matter.
Use water as example…
Solid (most physically stable)
Liquid (decreased physical stability)
Gas (most physically unstable)
Perhaps the means by which we can most readily observe the general principle of entropy in action is by viewing a material through the three phases of matter.
Use water as example…
Solid (most physically stable)
Liquid (decreased physical stability)
Gas (most physically unstable)
Item #4 – The Effect of Reversible Heat Changes in a System
The term reversible heat and available energy are basically interchangeable in the thermodynamic sense. Any heat/energy that has been produced by a process that is available for use by another process is deemed to be available energy. In an ideal situation such a process could form a perpetual energy system. However, in reality there is always energy loss in any energy-matter conversion or energy transfer process.
Therefore, although the application of reversible heat may reduce the rate of the loss of entropy, it will not altogether halt the loss of entropy – NOR – will it ever give rise to a system which has a net entropic value < 0 (that is, a system that generates more energy that it originally received). To do so would be a physical impossibility and a violation of all known applicable physical laws related to energy and mass.
The term reversible heat and available energy are basically interchangeable in the thermodynamic sense. Any heat/energy that has been produced by a process that is available for use by another process is deemed to be available energy. In an ideal situation such a process could form a perpetual energy system. However, in reality there is always energy loss in any energy-matter conversion or energy transfer process.
Therefore, although the application of reversible heat may reduce the rate of the loss of entropy, it will not altogether halt the loss of entropy – NOR – will it ever give rise to a system which has a net entropic value < 0 (that is, a system that generates more energy that it originally received). To do so would be a physical impossibility and a violation of all known applicable physical laws related to energy and mass.
Item #5 – The Effect of Temperature Changes in a System
The higher the temperature in a system, the more available heat there is for any process to proceed and the entropy value is said to approach ‘0’ as the temperature increases. However, any total systemic temperature increase can only come as a result of heat or energy added from a source outside the system since no system can generate energy greater than that with which it originally began according to the Law of Conservation of Mass and Energy.
Likewise, the lower the temperature in a system, the less available heat there is for any process to proceed and the entropy value is said to approach ‘1’ as the temperature decreases. This is the current state of all matter within the universe since the universe is a closed system.
The higher the temperature in a system, the more available heat there is for any process to proceed and the entropy value is said to approach ‘0’ as the temperature increases. However, any total systemic temperature increase can only come as a result of heat or energy added from a source outside the system since no system can generate energy greater than that with which it originally began according to the Law of Conservation of Mass and Energy.
Likewise, the lower the temperature in a system, the less available heat there is for any process to proceed and the entropy value is said to approach ‘1’ as the temperature decreases. This is the current state of all matter within the universe since the universe is a closed system.
The second definition found in the Merriam Webster Dictionary (below) is very closely related to the first.
A – The degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity.
This definition speaks in engineering terms of what is known as a continuous entropic process. In this process, actions and reactions occur in which energy in some form is continually expended and usable energy becomes less and less until no process is able to continue.
B – A process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder.
This is a generalized definition with the same basic meaning as that of Definition A above.
A – The degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity.
This definition speaks in engineering terms of what is known as a continuous entropic process. In this process, actions and reactions occur in which energy in some form is continually expended and usable energy becomes less and less until no process is able to continue.
B – A process of degradation or running down or a trend to disorder.
This is a generalized definition with the same basic meaning as that of Definition A above.