AP Chemistry Unit Review
Unit 9: Applications of Thermodynamics
How it applies to our lives
Electronics that we use daily like smartphones, computers, electrical vehicles, etc., all rely on spontaneous redox reactions as they all use voltaic cells (batteries!).
Key Vocabulary
Select a card to reveal its definition.
Anode
Cathode
Gibbs free energy
Entropy
Galvanic cell
Salt bridge
Main Takeaways
Thermodynamics helps us predict whether a reaction is spontaneous by using entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy.
If delta G is negative, the process is thermodynamically favored. If delta G is positive it is thermodynamically unfavored.
Energy is conserved in chemical reactions but could be transferred as heat.
The direction of electron flow in electrochemical cell determines the voltage produced and allows electricity to be generated.
At equilibrium delta G is equal to 0. The relationship between free energy and equilibrium constant is ΔG∘=−RTlnK
Common Misconceptions
A common misconception regarding this unit is that all spontaneous reactions happen quickly. This is because although a reaction may be thermodynamically spontaneous, it might take place extremely slowly because of the activation energy barrier.
Unit Quiz
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