3 ms·
From a thermodynamics point of view only the differential of the entropy matters, so if there is only a fixed difference between the two computations they do no
by niemandhier 2y ago
From a thermodynamics point of view only the differential of the entropy matters, so if there is only a fixed difference between the two computations they do not influence the physics.
If the way one does the coarse graining of states results in different differentials, one way should be the correct one.
There is only one physics.
If I remember one of Plancks relevations was that he could explain why a certain corrections factor was needed in entropy calculations, since phase space had finished cell size.
- bubblyworld 2y agoThat's true - for instance I believe many of the results of statistical mechanics rely on further assumptions about your choice of macrostates, like the fact that they are ergodic (i.e. the system visits each microstate within a macrostate with equal probability on average). Obviously exotic choices of macrostates will violate these assumptions, and so I would expect the predictions such a model makes to be incorrect. But ultimately that's an empirical question. Entropy is a more general concept that's definable regardless of whether the model is accurate or not.