• Entropy
• Reversible and irreversible processes

Estimated Time: 20 minutes with wrap-up

Students must determine if various processes are either reversible, irreversible, or impossible.

• Familiarity with the first and second thermodynamic laws
• Familiarity with what defines a process as reversible or irreversible

• Tabletop Whiteboard with markers
• A handout for each student

Before conducting this activity, a short lecture defining reversible and irreversible processes is beneficial if the difference in these processes has not yet been covered. Students are then placed into small groups and given the Applying the Second Law handout.

The groups can be called back together as a class, discuss the choices made by each group, and resolve any incorrect reasoning for each scenario. This is also a good opportunity to ask what is defined as the system and what is defined as the surrounding for each scenario.