The word thermodynamics is derived from the Greek words that mean "heat" and "power." Thermodynamics is studied and has applications in all the sciences. Thermochemistry is the part of thermodynamics that studies the relationship between heat and chemical reactions. Thermochemistry is a very important field of study because it helps to determine if a particular reaction…
Any process that involves a chemical reaction involves change. Sometimes the change occurs on its own. Such a process is called spontaneous. If a change does not occur on its own, it is called non-spontaneous. A spontaneous change may not occur immediately. For example, if a barrel of fuel is left alone, it will remain as fuel indefinitely. However, if a match is used to ignite the fuel, it will b…
Energy is a state function. There are a number of different forms of energy, which is the ability to do work. Work is done anytime a force is applied to make an object move. There is energy of motion, called kinetic energy and energy of position or stored energy, called potential energy. Potential and kinetic energy are interconvertible; that is, one form can change to the other. Different types o…
How can thermal energy be measured? One way is to measure a quantity called the specific heat. The specific heat of a substance is the amount of thermal energy required to heat one gram of that substance by one degree. Once again, the specific heat of a substance is an intensive property, meaning that it does not depend on the amount of substance present. The specific heat of a drop of water and a…
The mathematical representation for thermal energy contains many terms. We can, however, simplify it based on how we perform the experiments. Most chemical reactions take place under atmospheric pressure, which is (for the most part) constant. When a thermal energy change is measured under constant pressure conditions, it is called a change in "enthalpy." The symbol for enthalpy is H…
Certain processes that release a great deal of energy are not spontaneous, even though it would seem that they should be. Similarly, certain processes that greatly increase disorder are not spontaneous, although it would seem that they should be. If we mathematically manipulate the expressions for enthalpy and entropy, it is possible to define a new quantity called the Gibbs' free energy. T…
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