Bluff Your Way in the Second Law of Thermodynamics (original) (raw)
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Abstract
The aim of this article is to analyse the relation between the second law of thermodynamics and the so-called arrow of time. For this purpose, a number of different aspects in this arrow of time are distinguished, in particular those of time-reversal (non-)invariance and of (ir)reversibility. Next I review versions of the second law in the work of Carnot, Clausius, Kelvin, Planck, Gibbs, Carathéodory and Lieb and Yngvason, and investigate their connection with these aspects of the arrow of time. It is shown that this connection varies a great deal along with these formulations of the second law. According to the famous formulation by Planck, the second law expresses the irreversibility of natural processes. But in many other formulations irreversibility or even time-reversal non-invariance plays no role. I therefore argue for the view that the second law has nothing to do with the arrow of time.
Publication:
Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
Pub Date:
2001
DOI:
10.48550/arXiv.cond-mat/0005327
arXiv:
Bibcode:
Keywords:
- Thermodynamics;
- Second Law;
- Irreversibility;
- Time-Reversal Non-Invariance;
- Arrow of Time.;
- Statistical Mechanics
E-Print:
Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics (to appear)