Answer to Question #325501 in General Chemistry for Uwbnxjzs

Question

Investigate the following:

1. The spontaneity of a process based on entropy.

2. Determine whether entropy increases or decreases if the temperature, the phase, and the number of particles are changed.

3. Explain the second law of thermodynamics and its significance

4. How to use Gibbs free energy to determine the direction of a reaction.

5. State the importance of conversation of energy.

6. Explain the influence of energy change, energy trasformation, and energy utilization to the environment and on Earth as a whole.

Answer 1

1) The best indicator of spontaneity in a reaction is the change in Entropy (S or dS). The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that for a reaction to be spontaneous, there must be an increase in entropy. Entropy is often defined as a measure of the disorder of a system, this is not a very accurate definition.

2) a. When temperature increases, the kinetic energy of the particles increases.As a result, the randomness of particles increases which increases the entropy.

b. As the number of particles increases, there are more particles which contribute to randomness.So the entropy increases.

c. Gasses have the highest entropy as their molecules are far apart from each other and degree of freedom is more.They are followed by liquid and solids respectively.

3) The second law of thermodynamics states that as energy is transferred or transformed, more and more of it is wasted. It's one of the four laws of thermodynamics, which describe the relationships between thermal energy, or heat, and other forms of energy, and how energy affects matter.

4) The change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG) is the maximum amount of free energy available to do useful work. If ΔG > 0, the reaction is nonspontaneous in the direction written. If ΔG = 0, the reaction is in a state of equilibrium. If ΔG < 0, the reaction is spontaneous in the direction written.

5) Energy conservation is incredibly important for several reasons. Along with reducing our reliance on non-renewable energy resources (like fossil fuels), it also helps save you money on energy costs, including utility bills and other energy bills.

6) All energy sources have some impact on our environment. Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—do substantially more harm than renewable energy sources by most measures, including air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and global warming emissions.