alleryStart learning →In thermodynamics, what is meant by the surroundings?
AEverything outside the system under study
BThe matter directly involved in the transfer
COnly the air immediately above a system
DThe energy lost as heat during a transfer
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Everything outside the system under study
1. The matter and its environment relevant to a particular case of energy transfer are classified as a system.
2. Everything outside of that system is called the surroundings.
3. Heating a pot of water on the stove makes the stove, pot and water the system, while the room around them is the surroundings.
4. The matter directly involved is the system itself, so the second option names the wrong side of the boundary.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 "Metabolism", section 6.3 The Laws of Thermodynamics_
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