Deep dive

Reaction Energy

Enthalpy is a thermodynamic state function. At constant pressure, under the usual conditions for pressure-volume work, its change is especially useful for discussing heat transferred.

How the ideas connect

A good science page should make the connection visible, not just list definitions.

Enthalpy

Enthalpy is a thermodynamic state function. At constant pressure, under the usual conditions for pressure-volume work, its change is especially useful for discussing heat transferred.

A negative reaction enthalpy is associated with an exothermic process under those conditions; a positive value with an endothermic one.

→ Enthalpy

Entropy

Entropy is a thermodynamic state function connected to the number and distribution of accessible microscopic states and to energy dispersal.

The slogan “entropy equals disorder” can be misleading; statistical and thermodynamic definitions are more precise.

→ Entropy

Gibbs energy

At constant temperature and pressure, Gibbs energy provides a criterion for the direction of spontaneous change in a closed system under the usual constraints.

A negative ΔG indicates thermodynamic favourability for the specified change, but says nothing by itself about how fast it will happen.

→ Gibbs energy

Conservation of energy

Energy can move between stores and cross a system boundary, but for an isolated system total energy is conserved.

Thinking in terms of energy often lets us solve a problem without following every detail of the motion.

→ Conservation of energy

What to notice

A good science page should make the connection visible, not just list definitions.

Sources

IUPAC Gold Book · NIST · BIPM