One of entropy's puzzling aspects is its dimensions of energy/temperature. A review of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics leads to six conclusions: (1) Entropy's dimensions are linked to the definition of the Kelvin temperature scale. (2) Entropy can be defined to be dimensionless when temperature Tis defined as an energy (dubbed tempergy). (3) Dimensionless entropy per particle typically is between 0 and similar to 80. Its value facilitates comparisons among materials and estimates of the number of accessible states. (4) Using dimensionless entropy and tempergy, Boltzmann's constant k is unnecessary. (5) Tempergy, kT, does not generally represent a stored system energy. (6) When the (extensive) heat capacity C much greater than k, tempergy is the energy transfer required to increase the dimensionless entropy by unity. (C) 1999 American Association of Physics Teachers. [References: 33]
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