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What Role Does Enthalpy Play in Predicting Reaction Feasibility?

Enthalpy, usually shown as ( H ), is really important for figuring out if a chemical reaction can happen. Here’s how it works:

  1. Exothermic vs. Endothermic:

    • Exothermic reactions give off heat. This means the enthalpy change (( \Delta H )) is negative (( \Delta H < 0 )). These reactions are generally good because they release energy.
    • Endothermic reactions take in heat, so their enthalpy change is positive (( \Delta H > 0 )). While these reactions can happen, they need energy to get started.

  2. Gibbs Free Energy:

    • To really see if a reaction can happen, we use something called the Gibbs Free Energy equation: [ \Delta G = \Delta H - T \Delta S ] Here, ( T ) stands for temperature, and ( \Delta S ) is the change in disorder (or randomness). For a reaction to happen on its own (spontaneous), ( \Delta G ) should be negative.

In short, enthalpy helps us understand energy changes, but it’s the combination with entropy that truly decides if a chemical reaction can happen by itself.

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What Role Does Enthalpy Play in Predicting Reaction Feasibility?

Enthalpy, usually shown as ( H ), is really important for figuring out if a chemical reaction can happen. Here’s how it works:

  1. Exothermic vs. Endothermic:

    • Exothermic reactions give off heat. This means the enthalpy change (( \Delta H )) is negative (( \Delta H < 0 )). These reactions are generally good because they release energy.
    • Endothermic reactions take in heat, so their enthalpy change is positive (( \Delta H > 0 )). While these reactions can happen, they need energy to get started.

  2. Gibbs Free Energy:

    • To really see if a reaction can happen, we use something called the Gibbs Free Energy equation: [ \Delta G = \Delta H - T \Delta S ] Here, ( T ) stands for temperature, and ( \Delta S ) is the change in disorder (or randomness). For a reaction to happen on its own (spontaneous), ( \Delta G ) should be negative.

In short, enthalpy helps us understand energy changes, but it’s the combination with entropy that truly decides if a chemical reaction can happen by itself.

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