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Re: Entropy: quenched disorder is entropy



However, if we are to adopt Leigh and David's pedagogical advice, then
ENTROPY is a forbidden word until students hit a stat-mech course, which is
often not until graduate school. ;-(

Rick

Rick, I think you have misconstrued us. Neither of us consider entropy
to be a forbidden word. Its just that I think a low (teaching) level
association of 'thermodynamic entropy' with 'disorder' *can* be
dangerous if the notions are not sufficiently qualified to prevent
misconceptions, and Leigh, more strongly, thinks it just *is* dangerous
to bring disorder in to a discussion of entropy because it creates and
reinforces major misconceptions.

David Bowman
David_Bowman@georgetowncollege.edu