ScienceAugust 25, 2026

entropy

EN-truh-pee

Definition

A measure of the level of disorder or randomness in a physical system or material structure.

Etymology

Coined in the 19th century by physicist Rudolf Clausius, the word is derived from the Greek 'en-' meaning 'in' and 'trope' meaning 'a turning or transformation,' originally intended to represent the 'transformation content' of a thermodynamic system.

In the news

In the article, the term is used to describe high-entropy alloys, which contain a mixture of metallic elements that result in a more disordered atomic structure compared to traditional alloys.

UCLA-Led Study Revises Crystal Formation Theory

Read the full article ↗

Mirage News

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