## sign of q

$\Delta S = \frac{q_{rev}}{T}$

Hannah Krusenoski 2L
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:06 am

### sign of q

When calculating entropy how do you know when qrev is negative in the equation?

Sean Monji 2B
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:06 am

### Re: sign of q

Qrev is the heat being transferred into or out of the system. If heat is leaving the system, the q would be negative. If heat enters the system, then q is positive. This makes sense since if there is more energy in the system, you can expect there to be an increase in entropy.

Varsha Swamy 2J
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Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:00 am

### Re: sign of q

It might help to think of it using the familiar concept q(system)=-q(surroundings). A system's surroundings gain the heat that a system loses. Because a gain in heat is an increase or positive value, the system must have the opposite sign when it loses heat. So if heat is leaving a system, q will be negative.

Charles Ang 1E
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Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2017 3:00 am

### Re: sign of q

I also have trouble with the sign of q. I found that it helps me to try to think whether the q applies to the system or surrounding and determine what is losing and what is gaining.

Ramya Lakkaraju 1B
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:03 am

### Re: sign of q

The system's q sign and the surrounding's q sign will always be opposites since whatever the system is losing is what the surroundings gain.

Sabah Islam 1G
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Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:01 am

### Re: sign of q

When qrev is negative, it means that the system is losing heat, so the surroundings will gain heat and vice versa if qrev is positive. You can think of it in the context of exothermic and endothermic: if a system is endothermic (taking in heat), then qrev will be positive and if a system is exothermic (releasing heat), then qrev will be negative.

Abigail Urbina 1K
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:01 am

### Re: sign of q

The sign of delta S depends on the direction of heat flow. Delta S is simply qrev divided by T. qrev is negative whenever the system is losing heat. From that information, you then know that the surroundings gain heat. If the system is gaining heat, then qrev is positive.

Arshpreet Sandhu 1B
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:00 am

### Re: sign of q

q of system= -q of surroundings