The Disorder...(1)

All of us have seen what happens when you drop some water-soluble paint into a water container. It rapidly expands in all directions and disappears. We don't need to apply any energy to the container or the droplet to make this phenomenon happen. This dispersion of color is favorable due to the fantastic concept called "entropy".

Entropy helps chemical reactions go towards their natural state (or equilibrium). Entropy is a probability-based quantity which is highly proportional to the freedom of movement of materials.

Why does a paint droplet readily expand in water while the opposite process never happen on its own? The color droplet exists in a more favorable form (has a greater degree of freedom) when dispersed rather than in the shape of a droplet when submerged in water.