The Entropy Change of the Surroundings
The total entropy change ΔStotal is the sum of the entropy changes of the system and of the surroundings. When an exothermic change takes place heat energy is transferred to the surroundings causing an increase in disorder to the surroundings. At higher temperatures, the molecules have a greater range of energies so they are more random and more disordered.

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Key terms in this lesson
- entropy
- A measure of the number of ways particles and their energy can be arranged, or the degree of disorder of a system.