What is the change in entropy (S) when sodium chloride dissolves in water?A.Less than 0B.Greater than 0C.Equal to 0D.Equal to H

Analysis of the Dissolving Process

1. Understanding Entropy: Entropy (S) is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system. When a solid, like sodium chloride (NaCl), dissolves in water, the ions separate and the overall disorder of the system increases.

2. Dissolving of NaCl: When NaCl dissolves in water, the solid ionic lattice breaks apart, leading to Na$^+$ and Cl$^-$ ions dispersing in the solvent. This increase in the number of accessible microstates typically results in an increase in entropy.

Conclusion

3. Determining the Change in Entropy: Since dissolving sodium chloride increases the disorder of the system, the change in entropy (ΔS) when NaCl dissolves in water is greater than zero.

Final Answer

B. Greater than 0