In CHEM 151, your studies included the topic of thermochemistry, which is the study of the relationship between chemical reactions and energy. Thermochemistry is part of the field of thermodynamics, which is the study of energy and its interconversions. In CHEM 152, you will continue the study of thermodynamics.
A review of the thermochemistry material from CHEM 151 will be interspersed into this topic as needed. Concepts reviewed include
- the First Law of Thermodynamics
- system and surroundings
- enthalpy and enthalpy change (ΔH),
- heat of reaction, exothermic and endothermic reactions
- Hess’s Law and Standard Enthalpies f Formation, which are tools used to calculate heat of reaction
You will continue your study of Thermodynamics with a look at the Second and Third Laws of thermodynamics. You will learn about the functions of entropy (S) and free energy (G), and how they can be used to measure the direction of a physical or chemical change and whether or not they will occur spontaneously. Finally, you will learn how thermodynamics is connected to two topics you studied earlier – chemical equilibrium and chemical kinetics.
