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The profile for same reaction but with a catalyst is also shown. Figure 13: An energy profile diagram demonstrating the effect of a catalyst for the generic exothermic reaction of X + Y →Z. The catalyst offers an alternate reaction pathway (shown in red) where the rate determining step has a smaller ΔG≠.
A chemical reaction may undergo different reaction mechanisms at different temperatures. [13] In this case, a Van 't Hoff plot with two or more linear fits may be exploited. Each linear fit has a different slope and intercept, which indicates different changes in enthalpy and entropy for each distinct mechanisms.
The reaction is usually endothermic as heat is required to break chemical bonds in the compound undergoing decomposition. If decomposition is sufficiently exothermic, a positive feedback loop is created producing thermal runaway and possibly an explosion or other chemical reaction. Thermal decomposition is a chemical reaction where heat is a ...
[2] A strongly exothermic reaction will usually also be exergonic because ΔH⚬ makes a major contribution to ΔG⚬. Most of the spectacular chemical reactions that are demonstrated in classrooms are exothermic and exergonic. The opposite is an endothermic reaction, which usually takes up heat and is driven by an entropy increase in the system.
In combination with entropy determinations, it is also used to predict whether a reaction is spontaneous or non-spontaneous, favorable or unfavorable. Endothermic reactions absorb heat, while exothermic reactions release heat. Thermochemistry coalesces the concepts of thermodynamics with the concept of energy in the form of chemical bonds.
According to the IUPAC, an exothermic reaction is "a reaction for which the overall standard enthalpy change ΔH⚬ is negative". [4] Some examples of exothermic process are fuel combustion , condensation and nuclear fission , [ 5 ] which is used in nuclear power plants to release large amounts of energy.
An endothermic process is a chemical or physical process that absorbs heat from its surroundings. [1] In terms of thermodynamics , it is a thermodynamic process with an increase in the enthalpy H (or internal energy U ) of the system. [ 2 ]
In exothermic reactions, an increase in temperature decreases the equilibrium constant, K, whereas in endothermic reactions, an increase in temperature increases K. Le Chatelier's principle applied to changes in concentration or pressure can be understood by giving K a constant value. The effect of temperature on equilibria, however, involves a ...