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General Chemistry · MCAT

MCAT General Chemistry: Thermodynamics

Enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs free energy, and the laws of thermodynamics as applied to chemical reactions tested on the MCAT.

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What does the first law of thermodynamics state?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed or transferred
What is the formula for the change in internal energy according to the first law of thermodynamics?
Delta U = Q - W (heat added minus work done by the system)
What does enthalpy (H) represent?
The heat content of a system at constant pressure
What is the sign of the enthalpy change in an exothermic reaction?
Negative
What is the sign of the enthalpy change in an endothermic reaction?
Positive
What law states that the total enthalpy change of a reaction is the same whether it occurs in one step or multiple steps?
Hess's law
What does entropy (S) measure?
The degree of disorder or randomness in a system
What does the second law of thermodynamics state about the entropy of an isolated system?
The entropy of an isolated system tends to increase over time
What does the third law of thermodynamics state about a perfect crystal at absolute zero?
Its entropy is exactly zero
What is the formula for Gibbs free energy in terms of enthalpy, entropy, and temperature?
Delta G = Delta H - T(Delta S)
What does a negative Gibbs free energy (Delta G < 0) indicate about a reaction?
The reaction is spontaneous under the given conditions
What does a positive Gibbs free energy (Delta G > 0) indicate about a reaction?
The reaction is nonspontaneous under the given conditions
Under what condition of Gibbs free energy is a reaction at equilibrium?
Delta G = 0
How does temperature affect spontaneity when Delta H is positive and Delta S is positive?
The reaction becomes spontaneous at high temperatures
What thermodynamic quantity describes the heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree?
Heat capacity

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