According to the second law of thermodynamics, what is the tendency of entropy in an isolated system?

The second law of thermodynamics states that in an isolated system, the total entropy, which is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system, tends to increase over time. This principle reflects the natural tendency of systems to evolve toward a state of maximum disorder.

In practical terms, this means that energy transformations and processes will result in a greater distribution of energy states among the system's particles, leading to an increase in overall entropy. For example, when heat is transferred from a hot object to a cold object, the total entropy of the system increases as the energy becomes more evenly distributed among the particles involved, moving toward thermal equilibrium.

This law is pivotal in understanding not only physical and chemical processes but also the directionality of those processes. Systems naturally evolve toward configurations that are more statistically probable, which typically corresponds to higher entropy. Hence, the correct answer reflects the inherent tendency of entropy in isolated systems.