Residual entropy refers to the entropy that remains in a system at absolute zero temperature due to the presence of multiple microstates corresponding to the same macrostate. This concept highlights the idea that even at 0 K, certain configurations of particles can exist, resulting in a non-zero measure of disorder within the system. It plays a crucial role in understanding the limitations of the third law of thermodynamics, which states that the entropy of a perfect crystal approaches zero as temperature approaches absolute zero.
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