Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Supercooled water freezes at . Take and . Find the entropy change of the surroundings and the total entropy change. Is the freezing spontaneous?
A spontaneous change is one that happens on its own. Entropy measures how spread out matter and energy are; gases have far more than liquids, and liquids more than solids. , so for melting or boiling . The second law: for a spontaneous change, with . .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Surroundings. .
Step 2. Total. .
Step 3. Decide. The total is positive, so the freezing is spontaneous.
Answer: the surroundings gain , the total change is , and freezing is spontaneous.
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