Chem Midterm #3 Flashcards
what is an ideal ΔH°f
The lower the ΔH°f (change in enthalpy during the formation of one mole of a compound (standard state)), the more thermodynamically stable a substance is.
how are rates of reaction and time related
they are inversely related: the larger the rate, the smaller the reaction.
define thermodynamics
tells us whether a process is energetically favorable and if it will occur spontaneously
define kinetics
tells us about the rate
what is energy barrier synonymous to
Energy barrier = energy of activation
Why don’t diamonds (higher in energy) spontaneously turn into graphite (lower in energy)?
Even though graphite is thermodynamically favored (lower the energy, the more stable), diamonds are kinetically stable.
Kinetically stable, meaning, the rate of reaction to turn diamond into graphite is incredibly slow.
define reaction rate
how rapidly reactants are used up and how rapidly products form
