Re: [Phys-l] Arrow of Time Issue

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 03/09/2012 02:27 PM, Bennett Sessa wrote:
> If you have a very messy desk, the entropy of the system is x. If you
> clean up the desk area, then it would seem that the entropy would
> decrease,

I wouldn't have said that.

Messiness (aka disorder) should not be equated with entropy.

Disorder, to the extent that you can define it at all, is a property
of the microstate.  Entropy is defined as a property of the macrostate.

For the next level of detail, see
  http://www.av8n.com/physics/thermo/entropy.html#sec-s-vs-disorder

More generally, if you are going to ask foundational questions about
entropy, you can save yourself (and everybody else) a lot of time if
you start by reading
  http://www.av8n.com/physics/thermo/entropy.html