{"doi":"10.1119/1.17732","title":"Entropy and the second law: A pedagogical alternative","abstract":"<jats:p>Thermodynamics in introductory physics typically begins with the ideas of temperature and heating and with the first law of thermodynamics. Then the more difficult parts come: entropy and the second law of thermodynamics. This second portion of the course can begin with a microscopic conception of entropy and a qualitative idea of how thermal systems evolve. The key concept is the ‘‘multiplicity of a macrostate:’’ the number of microstates associated with a macrostate. Starting from these notions—a point of departure and a concept—this paper develops the second law of thermodynamics, the relationship ΔS≥(energy input by heating)/T, and the Carnot efficiency. Offer the entire development both as a specific alternative to what appears in typical introductory texts and as a contribution to a continuing discussion of how to teach thermodynamics to various college audiences.</jats:p>","journal":"American Journal of Physics","year":1994,"id":27385,"datarank":5.152704701728147,"base_score":4.007333185232471,"endowment":4.007333185232471,"self_citation_contribution":0.6010999777848708,"citation_network_contribution":4.551604723943276,"self_endowment_contribution":0.6010999777848708,"citer_contribution":4.551604723943276,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":54,"citer_count":54,"citers_with_citation_signal":43,"citers_with_endowment":43,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":null,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":false,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":null,"fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":156239,"name":"Ralph Baierlein","orcid":null,"position":0,"is_corresponding":false}],"reference_count":0,"raw_metadata":{"has_enrichment":true,"base_score":4.007333185232471,"endowment":4.007333185232471,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"views":0,"has_version_chain":false,"is_dataset":false,"is_oa":false,"pmid":"18998881","pmcid":null,"openalex_id":"https://openalex.org/W2079353141","authors":[],"funders":[],"total_grants":0,"fwci":0.6635,"citation_percentile":0.69055572,"influential_citations":7,"citation_trend":[{"year":2012,"count":7},{"year":2013,"count":3},{"year":2014,"count":3},{"year":2015,"count":2},{"year":2016,"count":4},{"year":2017,"count":2},{"year":2018,"count":3},{"year":2019,"count":1},{"year":2021,"count":2},{"year":2024,"count":6},{"year":2025,"count":5}],"oa_status":"closed","license":null,"oa_locations":[{"url":"https://pubs.aip.org/aapt/ajp/article-pdf/62/1/15/11773296/15_1_online.pdf","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://doi.org/10.1119/1.17732","host_type":"journal"}],"fields_of_study":["Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics","Physics","Education"],"mesh_terms":[],"keywords":["Second law of thermodynamics","Carnot cycle","Laws of thermodynamics","Physics","Entropy (arrow of time)","Thermodynamics","Theoretical physics","First law of thermodynamics","Non-equilibrium thermodynamics","First law","Statistical physics","Epistemology","Philosophy"],"sdg_mappings":[{"sdg_number":0,"sdg_label":"Affordable and clean energy"}],"linked_datasets":[],"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"database_accessions":[],"source":"live","citation_network_status":"fetched"},"created_at":"2026-06-08T17:51:27.332297Z","pmid":null,"pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}