Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The second law says isolated systems grow more disordered over time. The figure is taken from American Physical Society, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a science fact?

Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

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Entropy measures how spread out energy is

The second law says isolated systems grow more disordered over time There are far more ways to arrange energy in a spread out state than in a concentrated one, so random change tends that way. This is why heat flows from hot to cold and never the reverse on its own. A refrigerator can move heat the other way, but only by doing work and dumping more heat elsewhere. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

American Physical Society

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Science trivia

More facts like this

Carnot set a limit on engine efficiencyNo heat engine can beat one minus the ratio of cold to hot temperatures Heat moves in three distinct waysConduction passes energy through contact, convection carries it in fluids, radiation needs no medium Absolute zero is the theoretical lower limit of temperatureAt minus 273 degrees Celsius all classical thermal motion of atoms stops completely Water exists as solid liquid and gas at its triple pointAt zero point zero one degrees Celsius and specific pressure water coexists in three states Energy cannot be created or destroyed only transformedThe total energy in an isolated system remains completely constant over time Chemical reactions either release or absorb thermal energyExothermic changes release heat while endothermic processes absorb energy from surroundings

Tags: physics, entropy, thermodynamics

Entropy measures how spread out energy is: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The second law says isolated systems grow more disordered over time. The figure is taken from American Physical Society, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?: Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.