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Ch.19 - Chemical Thermodynamics

Chapter 19, Problem 13

Indicate whether each statement is true or false. (a) A reaction that is spontaneous in one direction will be nonspontaneous in the reverse direction under the same reaction conditions. (b) All spontaneous processes are fast. (c) Most spontaneous processes are reversible. (d) An isothermal process is one in which the system loses no heat. (e) The maximum amount of work can be accomplished by an irreversible process rather than a reversible one.

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Hello everyone. So in this video we're given five different statements and we're trying to see if the statements are correct or incorrect. So first statement reads the reverse direction of a spontaneous reaction will be non spontaneous under the same reaction conditions. So, this statement is actually true. Is correct because we can assume that this reaction is in equilibrium if it's spontaneous in one direction does not make it spontaneous and the other. So therefore the statement is again correct. Now, for the second statement, it reads spontaneous processes are slow. So a spontaneous reaction occurs naturally without any sort of intervention of any sort. That's what a spontaneous reaction means. And then of course, we're talking about the rate of reaction. This is actually a kinetic property. So rates of reaction is a kinetic property and then we have another property which means over talking about a reaction being spontaneous or not. This is a thermodynamic property. Okay, so the rate of the reaction is actually not related to the reaction being spontaneous or not. And therefore because we're talking about two entirely different properties. This makes statement number two incorrect. Now, statement number three raids. All reversible reactions are spontaneous. So not all irreversible reactions are spontaneous but all spontaneous reactions are irreversible. So, the statement three is also incorrect. Now, statement number four reads there is no heat loss in an isil thermal process and I so thermal process is when our temperature is constant. So t is constant. So the heat is being transferred in and out of the system at a very slow rate in this type of process so that a thermal equilibrium is maintained. Therefore making statement number four, correct. Now, last statement here we're talking about a reverse, a irreversible process can produce more work than an irreversible process. So actually the maximum amount of work can be done by a reversible process. Making the last statement correct. So again, statement number one is correct, statement to incorrect, so is statement number three and statements four and five are correct. Those are final answers for this problem.