Question

20 Systems in nature tend to undergo changes toward(1) lower energy and higher entropy(2) lower energy and lower entropy(3) higher energy and higher entropy(4) higher energy and lower entropy

Answer 1

Answer is: (1) lower energy and higher entropy.

Entropy is the measure of the molecular disorder and it is system’s thermal energy per unit temperature that is unavailable for doing useful work.

For a reaction to be spontaneous under standard conditions at all temperatures, the signs of ΔH° and ΔS° must be negative and positive, respectively.

Gibbs free energy (G) determines if reaction will proceed spontaneously, if ΔG is negative, reaction is spontaneous.

ΔG = ΔH - T·ΔS.

ΔG - changes in Gibbs free energy.

ΔH - changes in enthalpy.

ΔS - changes in entropy.

T is temperature in Kelvins.

Answer 2

Systems in nature tend to undergo changes toward Lower energy and higher entropy.