Are mixing and separation increases in entropy?
In general, mixing does tend to increase entropy, while separation tends to decrease entropy. To understand why, let's first define what entropy is.
Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. It is related to the number of ways in which the particles or components of a system can be arranged while still maintaining the same overall properties.
When mixing different substances together, the particles become more randomly distributed, and there are usually a greater number of possible arrangements. This increase in randomness leads to an increase in entropy.
For example, if you were to mix salt and water, initially the salt particles and water molecules would be separated. However, when they are mixed together, the salt particles disperse throughout the water, resulting in a more random arrangement of particles.
On the other hand, when separating components, the particles become more ordered, and there are fewer possible arrangements. This reduction in randomness leads to a decrease in entropy.
For example, if you were to filter a mixture of sand and water, the sand particles would be separated from the water, resulting in a more ordered arrangement of particles.
To summarize, mixing generally increases entropy because it leads to a more random distribution of particles, while separation tends to decrease entropy because it results in a more ordered arrangement.