Third Law
The third law of thermodynamics is sometimes stated as follows:
The entropy of a perfect crystal at absolute zero is exactly equal to zero.At zero temperature the system must be in a state with the minimum thermal energy. This statement holds true if the perfect crystal has only one state with minimum energy. Entropy is related to the number of possible microstates according to S = kBln(Ω), where S is the entropy of the system, kB Boltzmann's constant, and Ω the number of microstates (e.g. possible configurations of atoms). At absolute zero there is only 1 microstate possible (Ω=1) and ln(1) = 0.
A more general form of the third law that applies to systems such as glasses that may have more than one minimum energy state:
The entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches zero.The constant value (not necessarily zero) is called the residual entropy of the system.
Read more about this topic: Laws Of Thermodynamics
Famous quotes containing the word law:
“The great King of kings
Hath in the table of his law commanded
That thou shalt do no murder. Will you then
Spurn at his edict, and fulfill a man’s?
Take heed; for he holds vengeance in his hand
To hurl upon their heads that break his law.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The law of God is a law of change, and ... when the Churches set themselves against change as such, they are setting themselves against the law of God.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)