Physical Chemistry Flashcards
What is enthalpy change, ΔH?
The heat energy transferred in a reaction at constant pressure
What are the units of ΔH (enthalpy change)?
kj mol^-1
What are standard conditions?
100kPa (1 atm) pressure and a temperature of 298K (25°C)
What is standard state?
A substance’s physical state in standard conditions
What are the conditions needed to measure standard enthalpy changes?
Standard state and standard conditions (as enthalpy change is affected by temperature and pressure)
What is standard enthalpy change of reaction?
The enthalpy change when a reaction occurs in the molar quantities shown in the chemical equation, under standard conditions with all reactants and products in their standard states
What is standard enthalpy change of formation?
The enthalpy change when 1 mole of a compound is formed from its elements in their standard states under standard conditions
What is standard enthalpy of combustion?
The enthalpy change when 1 mole of a substance is completely burned in oxygen under standard conditions with all reactants and products in standard states
What is standard enthalpy of neutralisation?
The enthalpy change when solutions of an acid and an alkali react together to form 1 mole of water under standard conditions
What are exothermic reactions?
Reactions that give out energy to the environment
Describe exothermic reactions in terms of energy of products and reactants
The products have less energy than the reactants (as energy is released to the environment)
Will ΔH be +ve or -ve for exothermic reactions?
-ve
Will ΔH be +ve or -ve for endothermic reactions?
+ve
Give an example of an exothermic reaction?
Combustion
What are endothermic reactions?
Reactions that take in energy from their surroundings
Describe endothermic reactions in terms of energy of products and reactants
Products have more energy than reactants
Give an example of an endothermic reaction?
Thermal Decomposition
What is an enthalpy profile diagram?
A graph showing how the enthalpy changes during a reaction
What is the activation energy?
The minimum amount of energy needed to begin breaking reactant bonds and start a chemical reaction
What is the activation energy shown by in enthalpy profile diagrams?
The difference between the highest point on the graph and the reactants
When is a substance most stable, in terms of energy?
When it’s lost all its internal energy
Lower positions on an enthalpy profile diagram will be…
… more stable than higher positions
What is bond enthalpy?
The energy required to break a bond between 2 atoms
What is average bond enthalpy?
The energy needed to break one mole of a bond in the gas phase, averaged over the different compounds that the bond is found in
Is bond breaking endothermic or exothermic?
Endothermic, because it needs energy to break the bonds
Is bond forming endothermic or exothermic?
Exothermic, as it releases energy
Stronger bonds release….. energy when they are formed
More
Stronger bonds take….. energy to breaks
More
What equation links enthalpy change of reaction, total energy absorbed and total energy released?
Enthalpy change of reaction = Total energy absorbed - Total energy released
When measuring enthalpy changes in the lab, why do you use a polystyrene cup?
It’s an insulator, so that you don’t lose or gain much heat through the sides
How do you find the enthalpy changes in the lab for a reaction such as neutralisation?
Undergo the reaction in a polystyrene cup and place a thermometer to measure the temperature change
How do you find the enthalpy changes in the lab for a reaction such as combustion?
Use a bomb calorimeter containing a known mass of water. You burn a known mass of the reactant and record the temperature change of the water
What is the equation for enthalpy change?
q = mcΔT
In the equation q = mcΔT, what does q stand for?
Heat lost or gained (measured in J). This is the same as the enthalpy change if the pressure is constant
In the equation q = mcΔT, what does m stand for?
Mass (in g) of solution in the insulated container
In the equation q = mcΔT, what does c stand for?
Specific heat capacity of the solution/water (4.18 J g^-1 K^-1)
In the equation q = mcΔT, what does ΔT stand for?
The change in temperature of the solution
What is the specific heat capacity of a substance?
The amount of heat energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 g of a substance by 1°C
What are the 3 steps for calculating the standard enthalpy change of combustion using data from an experiment in a lab?
- Calculate the amount of heat lost of gained during the combustion using q = mcΔT then convert units from J to kJ
- Calculate the number of moles of fuel that caused this enthalpy change, from the mass that reacted
- Calculate the standard enthalpy change of combustion by dividing the actual heat change of the reaction, q (in kJ) and the number of moles of fuel that burned
What are the 3 steps for calculating the standard enthalpy change of reaction using data from an experiment in a lab?
- Calculate the amount of heat lost of gained during the combustion using q = mcΔT then convert units from J to kJ
- Calculate the number of moles of one of the reactants that caused this enthalpy change
- Calculate the standard enthalpy change of reaction using the equation ΔH°r = (Heat lost or gained (measured in kJ) / number of moles that reacted) x number of moles reacting in balanced chemical equation
Why might a measured enthalpy change value be different than the one in the data book?
Possibly to do with heat loss to the surroundings, or incomplete combustion
What does Hess’s Law state?
The total enthalpy change of a reaction is always the same, no matter which route is taken
If ΔH values are for formation ΔfH, what is the energy change equal to?
Sum of products - sum of reactants
ΔfH = p - r