About entropy and what we actually see

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Yes, entropy I observe, as a burning candle not ever being unburned and so forth, but what about all the living things we see on our planet? It is surely a more structured form of matter than before, and although I have heard explanations I haven’t grasped the explanation of how in spite of the apparent structuring, entropy still increases.

In: Physics

4 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The key is that entropy will increase for an entire system as a whole, not necessarily for each separate subsystem.

Solar energy from our sun strikes the Earth’s surface.
In the case of a complex living thing, like a flower, drawing a line around the entire system means drawing a line around the plant *and* the sun, and other things.

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