Free Energy and Entropy

A reaction is only spontaneous if it can do work, it must generate free energy

• -ve /\G : means the reaction is spontaneous. /\(G)<0
• +ve /\G : means the reaction is non-spontaneous, however it is spontaneous in the reverse direction. for  this kind of reaction, /\G >0
• /\G=0 : This means that the system is in equilibrium

Entropy is a measure of the disorder of a system

• the greater the amount of disoder, the higher the value of the entropy (S)
• the units for entropy are joules per mole kelvin (J/m/K)

The Equation for entropy change is

• Entropy change= Final Entropy - Initial Entropy
• /\S = S(final) - S(initial)

Free enregy and Entropy are linked by the equation:

/\G = /\H - T/\S            

were /\H= Enthalpy change      and T= temperature in K

When a system is in equiilibrium, the free energy change is equal to 0 /\G = 0

this means that /\H - T/\S = 0

/\H = T/\S     and therefore /\S = /\H / T