Specific Objectives Continued

Thermodynamics The student should be able to:

  1. State the first law of thermodynamics and explain the purpose served by the thermodynamic property of enthalpy (H)
  2. Explain and calculate the difference in value of DE and DH.
  3. Explain the term "spontaneous change" as it applies to chemical reactions.
  4. Explain why entropy is important and how entropy is related to the disorder of the system.
  5. Explain why enetropy alone is not used to predict a spontaneous change and why free energy is needed.
  6. Quantitatively predict whether reactions are spontaneous or nonspontaneous, and the effect of temperature, if any, based on their DH and DS values.
  7. Determine DHo, DSo, and DGo from tabulated data and for DGo from those of DHo and So.
  8. Use the Gibb-Helmholtz equation, DGo = DHo - TDSo , to determine DGo at various temperatures.
  9. Know that DG = 0 at equilibrium. For phase changes, use DStr = DHtr / Ttr = the molar entropy of transition.
  10. Write the thermodynamic equilibrium constant expressions Keq for reactions and relate these to Kp and Kc. Compute values of Keq from tabulated data and DG = 0 = DGo + RT lnKeq
  11. Explain how absolute entropies of substances can be determined with the third law of thermodynamics.
  12. Relate the equilibrium constant to the standard molar enthalpy of reaction DHo, and the Kelvin temperature, both graphically and algebraically. (van't Hoff equation)