--%>
Assignment Help - homework help

What is Maxwells demon

Maxwell's demon (J.C. Maxwell): A contemplation experiment describing the concepts of entropy. We contain a container of gas that is partitioned into two equivalent sides; each side is in thermal equilibrium with the other. The walls and the separation of the container are ideal insulators.

Now suppose there is a very small demon who is waiting at the separation next to a small trap door. He can close and open the door with slight (negligible) work. Let's state he opens the door to permit a fast-moving molecule to travel from the left side to the right, or for a slow-moving molecule to travel from the right side to the left, and remains it closed for all other molecules. The total effect would be a flow of heat -- from left side to the right -- even although the container was in thermal equilibrium. This is obviously a violation of the second law of thermodynamics.

Thus where did we go wrong? It turns out that information has to do with entropy also. In order to sort out the molecules according to speeds, the demon would be containing to keep a memory of them -- and it turns out that rise in entropy of the maintenance of this simple memory would be more than make up for the reduction in entropy due to the flow of heat.

   Related Questions in Physics

  • Q : Explain Ohms law Ohm's law (G. Ohm;

    Ohm's law (G. Ohm; 1827): The ratio of the potential difference among the ends of a conductor to the current flowing via it is constant; the constant of proportionality is termed as the resistance, and is distinct for different materials.

    		•
  • Q : Explain avogadro's hypothesis

    Avogadro's hypothesis (Count A. Avogadro; 1811): Equivalent volumes of all gases at similar temperature and pressure contain equivalent numbers of molecules. This is, in fact, true only for the ideal gases.  <

    		•
  • Q : Plasma globe AD advantages and

    advantages and disadvantages of a plasma globe

    		•
  • Q : Newtons laws of motion Briefly

    Briefly illustrate all the Newton s laws of motion?

    		•
  • Q : What it means of Aberration Defining 

    Defining Aberration: The obvious change in the position of a light-emitting object due to the fidelity of the speed of light and the

    		•
  • Q : Explain Photoelectric effect

    Photoelectric effect: An effect described by A. Einstein that demonstrates that light seems to be made up of particles, or photons. The light can excite electrons (termed as photoelectrons in this context) to be ejected from the metal. Light with a fr

    		•
  • Q : What is Standard quantum limit Standard

    Standard quantum limit: It is the limit obligatory on standard techniques of measurement by the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics.

    		•
  • Q : Define Mole or SI unit of substance

    Mole: mol: The basic SI unit of substance, stated as the quantity of substance which contains as many elementary units (that is, atoms, molecules, ions, and so forth) as there are atoms in 0.012 kg of carbon-12.

    		•
  • Q : What is Lyman series Lyman series: The

    Lyman series: The sequence that explains the emission spectrum of hydrogen whenever electrons are jumping to the ground state. Each and every line is in the ultraviolet.

    		•
  • Q : Define Uniformity principle Uniformity

    Uniformity principle (E.P. Hubble): The principle which the laws of physics here and now are not dissimilar, at least qualitatively, from the laws of physics in preceding or future epochs of time, or somewhere else in the Universe. This principle was

    		•