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Re: Entropy and states of matter

At 6:31 PM -0700 on 2/26/02, Jim Green wrote
As the gas condenses

negative work is done on the molecules

Help me out a bit here.

and hence their energy level decreases and so does the entropy of the
condensate. In the process


positive work is done on the ambient gas


and hence it's energy level increases and so does the entropy.

I'm having trouble with the 'work' thing here at the molecular level.
I've sort of imagines that condensation selectively 'condenses' the
molecules at the slow end of the distribution curve, leaving the
faster molecules uncondensed.

Help me with the positive/negative work concept here.
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