1.2: Thermodynamics Flashcards
What is a system?
Anything of interest to a scientist.
What is a biological system?
An open system (matter + E exchanged). Bio systems must acquire E/matter from surroundings and excrete waste.
What to make sure before going MORE into DETAIL (YOU MUST GO MORE INTO DETAIL)?
MASTER learning objectives (80%) before getting nitpicky with readings/prereadings + external sources.
What are the surroundings when working with systems?
EVERYTHING OUTSIDE of the system.
What is the waste of bacteria?
The unused products of their metabolic reactions.
What is Energy?
The ability to do work or cause change.
What is Work?
The change that requires energy. Cells do work through every cell processes since they all require energy.
Potential vs Kinetic Energy?
Potential E is energy due to position (prospection of change) while Kinetic E is energy due to motion (Ek IS the change vs chance of change). They can be converted to one another.
How does Ep explain electron energy levels?
Farther away electrons are attracted by center of nucleus but further away- greater distance to cover implies greater POTENTIAL E.
What determines the amount of potential energy within a molecule?
The arrangement of electrons in its chemical bonds (polar vs nonpolar). Nonpolar has higher Ep.
Whaat difference in electronegativity is considered non-polar?
0.4 or less.
What is a common source of cellular energy?
Electrochemical gradients (or concentration gradients). Nature wants stability and things to be equally shared (less Ep) so buildup of [chemical] over time will be broken and (like dam) high Ep will be converted to high Ek.
What is the principles of minimum potential energy?
A restatement of the second law. If particles are more spread out they are less likely to collide.
What is the first law of thermodynamics?
Energy is neither created or destroyed. Energy can change location and convert into different forms. ALL ENERGY that enters and leaves a system must come from the surroundings!
Where do molecules get potential energy from?
The energy stored in their chemical bonds.
What is Enthalpy?
The sum of all kinetic and potential energy.
What happens to enthalpy when work occurs?
Remember that work IS the change (work = change in Ek), so when work occurs, Ek changes, and when Ek changes, Enthalpy changes (deltaH).
What happens when heat is released from a system?
deltaH is negative (system losing heat/energy to surroundings). aka Exothermic reaction (ex; glucose + atp to glucose6p)
What happens when heat is absorbed by a system?
deltatH is positive (system gaining heat from surroundings). aka Endothermic reaction (ex; glucose to fructose) where the products have more total E (enthalpy) than the reactants (system absorbing E for reaction to go through).
What does deltaH determine?
The change in enthalpy- whether the products have more or less total energy than the reactants.
What is a spontaneous reaction?
A reaction that is able to occur under current conditions without external energy required. Has nothing to do with speed (doesn’t mean instantaneous). ex; oxidation of glucose is spontaneous because it occurs under regular physiological conditions. If a reaction is spontaneous in one direction than it is NON-SPONTANEOUS in the other direction.
What is a non-spontaneous reaction?
A reaction that cannot occur under current conditions.