What is the symbol for entropy in thermodynamics?

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Study for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Test your chemistry skills with multiple-choice questions, each providing hints and explanations. Get exam ready!

In thermodynamics, entropy is represented by the symbol S. Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system, reflecting how energy disperses at a specific temperature. It plays a crucial role in the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the total entropy of an isolated system can only increase over time, indicating the direction of spontaneous processes.

The other symbols represent different thermodynamic quantities: H denotes enthalpy, which is the total heat content of a system; G represents Gibbs free energy, which is used to predict the spontaneity of processes at constant temperature and pressure; and U stands for internal energy, which is the total energy contained within a system. Understanding these distinctions is important for grasping the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics.