Energetics and Equilibria Flashcards
what (in informal terms) is a spontaneous process
- one which occurs ‘naturally’ or on its own
- the reverse of a spontaneous process requires some intervention
explain why exothermicity is not the condition for spontaneous reactions
- there are some endothermic processes which are spontaneous e.g. NH4NO3 dissolving in water
- or the mixing of inert gases has no energy change
what is the actual definition for what makes a spontaneous process
- In a spontaneous process the entropy of the universe increases
what is entropy? what are the two ways of considering it
- Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness
- it can be analysed in a statistical thermodynamics way using energy levels in molecules/atoms relating to translational, vibrational and electronic energies
- it can also be analysed in a classical way using the heat changes during a reaction
explain how energy levels can be used to help determine entropy (in the molecular interpretation)
- Molecules have quantised energy levels, each molecule has a set of energy levels associated with translation, rotation, vibration and electronic structure
- in a macroscopic sample (e.g. 10^20 atoms) there are many many ways for the molecules to distribute themselves over the energy levels
- this can be analysed using statistical thermodynamics
assuming we have x energy levels and N atoms, what is the total number of ways each configuration of energy distributions can be achieved
W = number of ways a given energy distribution can be achieved
N = number of atoms
n0 = number of atoms in energy level 0
n1 = number of atoms in energy level 1
nx = number of atoms in energy level x
W = N! / (no! n1! n2! ….. nx!)
what assumption can be made about the likelihood of each configuration and what does this tell us about which configuration we’ll get
- we can assume the system has no preference for one configuration over another, i.e. we can imagine as the molecules collide and move they are constantly changing between configurations
- this means the most likely configuration we’ll see is the configuration with the greatest W number
- this configuration is called the ‘most probable distribution’
- as the number of particles becomes very large, this most probable config. becomes overwhelmingly more probable
How do you find the most probable distribution, what is the outcome of this i.e. what is the Boltzmann Distribution
- to find the most probable distribution you must maximise W for a given total number of particles and energy (beyond scope of IA)
- the outcome is the Boltzmann distribution
- in the most probable distribution, the population of level i, ni which has energy Ei, is given by
ni = no e^(-ei/kT)
k = Boltzmann constant
T = temp
R = NA K
NA = Avogadro’s number
what can we say (using the Boltzmann distribution) about populations where the energy of the energy level is much greater than kT or similar/less
- where the energy of the energy level is much greater than kT, the population becomes vanishingly small
- where the energy of the energy level is comparable (or less than) kT, the population is significant
Give the equation linking entropy and W,
S = k ln(W)
i.e. the greater the number of ways a distribution can be achieved, the greater the entropy of the system
what effect does heating the system have on W and S
- When energy as heat is supplied to the system, the energy is accommodated by some of the molecules moving up to higher energy levels
- this makes the molecules more spread out over the energy levels
- hence there are more wats of achieving the resultant distribution (W increases)
- Hence entropy, S, increases
what effect does expanding the system have on W and S
- Quantum mechanics tells us that as the system is expanded, the spacing of the translational energy levels decreases
- Hence there are more energy levels ‘within reach’ of kT
- So the molecules are distributed over more levels and W is increased
- Thus S also increases
- Increasing vol increases entropy
what effect do physical transformations have on W and S
- a physical transformation such as solid –> liquid/gas is associated with a large increase in number of energy levels available to the system
- in a liquid/gas the molecules are free to translate so they have access to a larger number of translational energy levels
- so W is larger
- so S increases
what effect does changing temperature have on W and S
- supplying energy to a system in the form of heat increases entropy
- But specifically, for the same amount of ‘heat energy’ added to a system, the entropy increase is greater for a colder system than a hotter one
- i.e. the increase in entropy resulting from a certain amount of heat energy being added is greater the cooler the system is
what is the classical definition of entropy
if an object at a temperature T absorbs a small amount of energy δqrev under reversible conditions then the change in entropy dS is given by
dS = δq(rev) / T
NOTE: we cannot PROVE this is correct but it agrees with all observations (as is the case with all physical theories)
what are some features of the classical definition of entropy which ‘agree’ with the statistical definition
- supplying energy increases entropy: if delta(qrev) > 0 then energy is being supplied, this means for a finite temperature dS > 0 so entropy increases
- the classical definition also suggests dS is inversely proportional to temperature, i.e. for the same change in energy but at a higher temperature, entropy increases less, as expected from before
how do we split up the universe in terms of the second law of thermodynamics
- The system, this is the thing that we’re interested in
- the surroundings, this is the rest of the universe
what is the general expression for the entropy change of the universe in terms of system/surroundings
deltaSuniv = deltaSsys + deltaSsurr
how can we calculate the entropy change of the system
-entropy is a property of matter, hence deltaSsys can be calculated from tabulated values of the entropies of substances
What is meant by a closed system in thermodynamics, what is the result of this
A closed system in thermodynamics means matter cannot be exchanged between the system and the surroundings
However, energy as heat can be exchanged
this means deltaSsurr can be calculated directly from
dS = deltaqrev / T
why can we consider any heat exchange as reversible (from the point of view of the surroundings), what does this mean we can use to calculate deltaSsurr
- the surroundings are so large that neither their temperature nor volume are affected by the flow of energy as heat into or out of it
deltaSsurr = qsurr/Tsurr
qsurr = energy as heat absorbed by surroundings
Tsurr = temperature of surroundings
what assumptions/conclusions can we make to simplify the equation for deltaSsurr
- any heat lost by the system is absorbed by the surroundings and vice versa, hence qsurr = -qsys
- we can assume the system and surroundings are at thermal equilibrium Tsys = Tsurr
hence
deltaSsurr = -qsys / Tsys
using the ‘simplified’ equation for deltaSsurr, how can we calculate the entropy change of the universe
deltaSuniv = deltaSsys - qsys/Tsys
what happens at deltaSuniv = 0 and how can we calculate the temperature at which this occurs, i.e. the critical temperature
deltaSuniv = 0
implies
-deltaSsurr = deltaSsys
so
T = qsys/deltaSsys
what the first law of thermodynamics say (in words), what are the forms of energy
- in words, the first law of thermodynamics that energy cannot be created or destroyed but just transformed from one form to another
- the forms of energy are heat, work and internal energy
what is heat, what do we need to be careful to avoid when talking about heat and what is the SI unit
- heat is the means by which energy is transferred from a hotter body to a cooler one
- we need to be careful not to think of heat as a substance or fluid
- its SI unit is Joules (J)
what is work (in relation to work done mechanically)
- a force through a distance
- if we move a distance x against a force F, we have done work W = fx
what is internal energy, what are the forms of energy that can ‘make up’ internal energy
- it is a property that an object possesses
- the value of the internal energy depends on the amount of substance, temperature, pressure etc.
- it is often formed from Ek of particles, energy of interactions of particles and bond energy within chemical bonds
what is the only component of internal energy in an ideal gas
- kinetic energies of particles, i.e. the internal energy is directly proportional to the temperature
what sort of functions are heat, work and internal energy
- heat and work are path functions
- internal energy is a state function
what is a state function
- a state function is one whose value depends only on the state of the substance under consideration, it has the same value for a given state, no matter how that state was arrived at
- this is the property that Hess’ Law calculations rely on
What is a path function
- the value which a path function takes depends on the path which the system takes going from A to B
- e.g. the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen can create different amounts of heat/do different amounts of work depending on the way in which they react.
- hence heat and work are path functions
express the first law of thermodynamics mathematically and explain the significance
- consider a system changing from state A to state B, the internal energy will change from Ua to Ub through absorbing some amounts of heat, q, and work, w, Hence
deltaU = q + w
- in going from A to B, q and w can have any values provided that (q+w) is equal to deltaU
- this is equivalent to saying energy cannot be created or destroyed…
what are the sign conventions that we use for heat and work in relation to internal energy
- the values will be positive when they correspond to increases of internal energy
- hence when energy is supplied as heat to a system, q is positive
- when work is done on a system w is positive
- when work is done by a system, w is negative, it is usually labelled w’ = -w
what are the properties of an ideal gas which specify its state
- pressure, volume, temperature, amount (in mol)
state the ideal gas law and define its quantities
pV = nRT
p = pressure (pa)
V = volume (m^3)
n = amount of substance (mol)
R = ideal gas constant
T = temperature (K)
How can we derive the expression for the infinitesimal work done by an expanding gas
- consider a gas within a frictionless cylinder, pressure inside = Pint, pressure outside = Pext
- the force that the gas is expanding against is Pext so this is what we consider for the work done
deltaw’ = force x distance
= Pext * A * dx
= Pext dV
NOTE: we use w’ as we are considering the work done BY the gas not ON the gas
Hence
deltaw = -Pext dV
what is the work done if a gas expands against 0 pressure
0
no force is pushed against or moved through a distance, hence no work is done
what is the expression (and derivation) for the work done by a gas when expanding against constant pressure
- we know deltaw’ = Pext dV
- so we can integrate it WRT V to get an expression for w’
- as Pext is a constant, it can be taken out of the integration
- this leaves us with
w’ = Pext (Vf - Vi)
where Vf is final volume, Vi is initial volume
how can the model be made such that an expanding gas does the maximum amount of work
- to get the maximum amount of work done, we need the maximum force to be moved through the distance
- in order for the gas to still expand, this means the external pressure must at all times be infinitesimally smaller than the internal pressure
- this means the external pressure must eb continuously lowered in order to maintain it as slightly lower than the internal temperature
Give the features of a reversible expansion of a gas
- infinitely slow expansion
- external pressure infinitesimally smaller than internal pressure
- at equilibrium
- does maximum work
- can be transformed from expansion to compression with an infinitesimally small change in external pressure
give the features of an irreversible expansion of a gas
- goes at a finite (not infinitely small) rate
- not at equilibrium
- doesn’t do maximum work
- external pressure must be changed significantly to cause compression to start occuring
what is meant when we use the term maximum work
- the magnitude of the work done is the greatest
- we avoid saying largest etc. because the sign of the work can change depending if its work done ON or BY
what is the expression (and derivation) for the work done in the reversible isothermal expansion of an ideal gas
we know
deltaw’ = Pext dV
from ideal gas equation
Pint = nRT/V
we know Pext is infinitesimally smaller than Pint hence
Pext = Pint = nRT/V
so
w’ = integral(nRT/V)dV
w’ = nRT ln(Vf/Vi)
Vf = final volume
Vi = initial volume
what is an indicator diagram and how do they help us visualise the differences in work done by a gas reversibly and irreversibly
- the work done can be visualised as the area under a curve of Pext against V
- for a constant external pressure i.e. irreversible expansion, this just gives us a rectangle shape
- for a reversible expansion, the pressure is a 1/x style line, this gives a greater area for the same Vf and Vi
what can we use (and why) to help us calculate the heat involved in gas expansions
- the first law of thermodynamics
- this is
deltaU = q + w = q - w’ - we know U is a state function but q and w are path functions
- this means in either the reversible or irreversible expansions the value of U following the expansion will be the same
what can we use (and why) to help us calculate the heat involved in gas expansions
- the first law of thermodynamics
- this is
deltaU = q + w = q - w’ - we know U is a state function but q and w are path functions
- this means in either the reversible or irreversible expansions the value of U following the expansion will be the same
through the consideration of the first law and the work done in a reversible expansion, what can we say about the heat involved in a reversible expansion
we know
DeltaU = q + w = q - w’
and deltaU is constant for reversible or irreversible expansion
- we know w’irrev < w’rev
- hence q must also be greater for a reversible expansion
“In a reversible process, the magnitude of the heat is a maximum”
what can we say about the heat that is transferred in the isothermal expansion of an ideal gas
explain in words how this is so
- for an ideal gas, internal energy is purely kinetic so is dependent on temp only
- given the expansion is isothermal, the temperature does not change, thus, deltaU = 0
thus
w’ = qrev = nRT ln(Vf/Vi)
- the work done by the gas expanding, is exactly compensated for by the heat flowing in
what is an important point to note concerning reversible/irreversible reactions and the definition for entropy
- the definition for an entropy change is
dS = (delta qrev) / T
- q is a path function, NOT a state function
- this means even if we want to calculate an entropy change for an irreversible process, we must consider a reversible process to calculate the entropy change
- NOTE: there are multiple ways of getting around this, but this is the theory
what is the difference/exception in calculating entropy when we are calculating the entropy change of the surroundings
- we know that ‘from the point of view of the surroundings, any heat flow is reversible’. This means the entropy change of the surroundings can be calculated directly from the heat
- this is because we know that the surroundings are sufficiently large for their volume to be unaffected, hence they do no work
- hence deltaUsurr = qsurr
- as the internal energy is a state function this means qsurr is the same for reversible or irreversible processes
- we also know the temperature of the surroundings will remain unaffected
- so overall we can say in any case
DeltaSsurr = qsurr / Tsurr
what is the entropy change in the isothermal expansion of an ideal gas
we know
dS = deltaqrev / T
we know
w’rev = qrev = nRT ln(Vf/Vi)
so
dS = nR ln(Vf / Vi)
Define internal energy (in terms of heat transfer)
the internal energy change, δU, is equal to the energy as heat under constant volume conditions
Define enthalpy
the enthalpy change, deltaH, is equal to the energy as heat under constant pressure conditions
what is the equation for infinitesimal changes in internal energy, how can this be changed by considering Pext
dU = deltaq + deltaw
we know
deltaw = -PextdV
Hence
dU = deltaq - PextdV
what is the form of the equation for internal energy at a constant volume, explain what it means
we know
dU = deltaq - PextdV
hence if volume doesn’t change, dV = 0
so
dU = deltaq (const.vol)
i.e. the heat absorbed under a constant volume is equal to the change in internal energy
what is the general form (normally and infinitesimally) of the relation between heat supplied and temperature change using heat capacities
q = c * deltaT
or infinitesimally
deltaq = c dT
what is the molar heat capacity, how can we rewrite the heat capacity equation using it
Cm = molar heat capacity = heat capacity per mol = c/n
hence
q = nCmdeltaT
what is the molar heat capacity at a constant volume, how can it be used in an equation/linked to U
Cm,v = molar heat capacity at a constant volume = (∂U,m/∂T)v
this works in the same way as normal molar heat capacity but applies only to constant volume conditions
Given we know under constant volumes δq = dU we can write
dU = nCv,m dT
or
dUm = Cv,m dT
give the definition of enthalpy, H, give some of its properties, why is it useful?
H = U + pV
- it is a state function
- it’s value is equal to the heat transferred at a constant pressure
- this is useful because most reactions done in labs occur under a constant pressure
give the differential form of enthalpy, H, how can this be used to show H is equal to the heat at a constant pressure
dH = dU + pdV + Vdp
substituting
dU = deltaq - pdV
gives
dH = deltaq + Vdp
assuming a constant pressure gives
dH = deltaq(constant pressure)
what is the equation linking heat capacities and enthalpies, what is heat capacity at a constant pressure
- we know q = c dT
- assuming a constant pressure means
deltaq = Cp dT
but at a constant pressure we know
dH = deltaq
so
dHm = Cp,m dT
or
C,p,m = (delHm/delT)p