Question

Consider the statement, In the following process, the number of particles increases, so ΔS for this process must be positive. MgS(s) ⇄ Mg2+(aq) + S2- (aq) Is this statement true?

Answer 1

Answer:

Yes, it is.

Explanation:

The entropy (S) is a measure of how disorganized is the system, or how great is the randomness of a system. Thus, when there are more particles, or when the particles are more distant, or more agitated, the entropy is great. The systems intend to higher randomness.

In this case, the solid MgS was broken and separated in the ions Mg²⁺ and S²⁻, thus first there was one particle, and then two particles. The randomness increase, so S had increased, and ΔS (S final - S initial) > 0.