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Ch.19 - Chemical Thermodynamics
All textbooksBrown 14th EditionCh.19 - Chemical ThermodynamicsProblem 104
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Chapter 19, Problem 104

In chemical kinetics, the entropy of activation is the entropy change for the process in which the reactants reach the activated complex. Predict whether the entropy of activation for a bimolecular process is usually positive or negative.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Entropy of Activation

The entropy of activation refers to the change in entropy that occurs when reactants transition to an activated complex during a chemical reaction. It reflects the degree of disorder or randomness in the system as the reactants approach the transition state. A positive entropy of activation indicates an increase in disorder, while a negative value suggests a decrease in disorder.
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Bimolecular Reactions

Bimolecular reactions involve two reactant molecules colliding to form products. These reactions are characterized by their dependence on the concentration of both reactants, which influences the rate of reaction. The nature of the collision and the arrangement of molecules during the transition state play a crucial role in determining the entropy of activation.
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Transition State Theory

Transition state theory posits that during a chemical reaction, reactants must pass through a high-energy transition state before forming products. This theory helps explain the energy barrier that must be overcome for a reaction to proceed. The characteristics of the transition state, including its entropy, are essential for understanding the kinetics of bimolecular processes.
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Textbook Question

The conversion of natural gas, which is mostly methane, into products that contain two or more carbon atoms, such as ethane (C2H6), is a very important industrial chemical process. In principle, methane can be converted into ethane and hydrogen: 2 CH4(g) → C2H6(g) + H2(g) In practice, this reaction is carried out in the presence of oxygen: 2 CH4(g) + 12 O2(g) → C2H6(g) + H2O(g) (b) Is the difference in ΔG° for the two reactions due primarily to the enthalpy term (ΔH) or the entropy term (-TΔS)?

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Textbook Question

The conversion of natural gas, which is mostly methane, into products that contain two or more carbon atoms, such as ethane (C2H6), is a very important industrial chemical process. In principle, methane can be converted into ethane and hydrogen: 2 CH4(g) → C2H6(g) + H2(g) In practice, this reaction is carried out in the presence of oxygen: 2 CH4(g) + 1/2 O2(g) → C2H6(g) + H2O(g) (c) Explain how the preceding reactions are an example of driving a nonspontaneous reaction, as discussed in the 'Chemistry and Life' box in Section 19.7.

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Textbook Question

The potassium-ion concentration in blood plasma is about 5.0⨉10-3 M, whereas the concentration in muscle-cell fluid is much greater (0.15 M ). The plasma and intracellular fluid are separated by the cell membrane, which we assume is permeable only to K+. (a) What is ΔG for the transfer of 1 mol of K+ from blood plasma to the cellular fluid at body temperature 37 °C? (b) What is the minimum amount of work that must be used to transfer this K+?

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Textbook Question

At what temperatures is the following reaction, the reduction of magnetite by graphite to elemental iron, spontaneous? Fe3O4(s) + 2 C(s, graphite) → 2 CO2(g) + 3 Fe(s)

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Textbook Question

An ice cube with a mass of 20 g at -20 °C (typical freezer temperature) is dropped into a cup that holds 500 mL of hot water, initially at 83 °C. What is the final temperature in the cup? The density of liquid water is 1.00 g>mL; the specific heat capacity of ice is 2.03 J>g@C; the specific heat capacity of liquid water is 4.184 J>g@C; the enthalpy of fusion of water is 6.01 kJ>mol.

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Textbook Question
Carbon disulfide 1CS22 is a toxic, highly flammable substance. The following thermodynamic data are available for CS21l2 and CS21g2 at 298 K: (e) Use the data in the table to calculate ΔS° at 298 K for the vaporization of CS21l2. Is the sign of ΔS° as you would expect for a vaporization?
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