Answer:
a. A reaction in which the entropy of the system increases can be spontaneous only if it is endothermic.
Explanation:
The change in free energy (ΔG) that is, the <u>energy available to do work</u>, of a system for a constant-temperature process is:
- When ΔG < 0 the reaction is spontaneous in the forward direction.
- When ΔG > 0 the reaction is nonspontaneous. The reaction is
spontaneous in the opposite direction.
- When ΔG = 0 the system is at equilibrium.
If <u>both ΔH and ΔS are positive</u>, then ΔG will be negative only when the TΔS term is greater in magnitude than ΔH. This condition is met when T is large.