Question:medium

Based on second law of thermodynamics the loss in available energy is being quantified as

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Gouy-Stodola Theorem is key here: $\text{Irreversibility } (I) = T_0 \times \Delta S_{\text{universe}}$. It represents the direct translation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics into lost work potential.
Updated On: Jul 4, 2026
  • Irreversibility
  • Decrease in available energy
  • Entropy loss
  • Energy loss
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

In an ideal, perfectly reversible process no work potential is ever wasted. The moment friction, throttling, mixing, or heat transfer across a temperature gap enters the picture, the process can no longer deliver as much work as the ideal case promised, and this missing work is a real, measurable quantity, not just a vague description. Engineers call this shortfall the irreversibility of the process, and it can be shown to equal the surrounding temperature multiplied by the total entropy generated during the process. Terms like \(\text{entropy loss}\) or \(\text{energy loss}\) are not the standard names used for this quantity in second law analysis. So the specific name for the loss in available energy caused by second law effects is irreversibility, option (A).
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