How is the number of microstates related to entropy?

The number of microstates is fundamentally linked to the concept of entropy in thermodynamics. Entropy, a measure of disorder or randomness in a system, increases with the number of accessible microstates. Each microstate represents a specific way in which a system can be arranged without changing its macroscopic properties.

When the number of microstates increases, it indicates that there are more ways for the energy of a system to be distributed among its particles. This greater variety means that there is more disorder in the system, which corresponds to increased entropy. Therefore, a system with a higher number of microstates inherently has higher entropy because there are more configurations that the system can adopt, leading to a greater degree of randomness.

In conclusion, the correct relationship is that more microstates correlate with higher entropy, illustrating the fundamental principle that increased disorder and availability of arrangements enhance entropy in a thermodynamic system.