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Third Law of Thermodynamics definitions

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  • Third Law of Thermodynamics
    States that the entropy of a perfect crystal is zero at absolute zero temperature.
  • Entropy
    A measure of disorder in a system, linked to the number of possible microstates.
  • Perfect Crystal
    A solid with a regular and ideal internal atomic arrangement at 0 Kelvin.
  • Absolute Zero
    The lowest possible temperature, 0 Kelvin, where atomic motion ceases.
  • Microstate
    The number of possible energetic arrangements of a system's components.
  • Boltzmann Equation
    Relates entropy to microstates using the formula S = k ln(W).
  • Boltzmann Constant
    A constant (1.38 x 10^-23 J/K) used in the Boltzmann equation to calculate entropy.
  • Kelvin
    The SI unit of temperature, where 0 Kelvin is absolute zero.
  • Ludwig Boltzmann
    Austrian physicist who formulated the equation relating entropy to microstates.
  • Disorder
    The degree of randomness or chaos in a system, associated with higher entropy.