Laws of Thermodynamics

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the laws of thermodynamics, including definitions and explanations of energy conservation, entropy, and Gibbs free energy, among others.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy is conserved; it cannot be created or destroyed, only changes forms.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

The sum of the entropies of a system and its surroundings must always increase.

Entropy

A measure of disorder or the dispersion of energy in a system.

Absolute Zero

The temperature at which a perfectly crystalline solid has an entropy of zero.

Gibbs Free Energy (G)

A thermodynamic quantity that indicates whether a process will be spontaneous; if delta G is negative, the process is spontaneous.

Exothermic Process

A reaction or process that releases heat and has a negative change in enthalpy.

Endothermic Process

A reaction or process that absorbs heat and has a positive change in enthalpy.

Spontaneous Process

A process that occurs without external intervention, can be determined by a negative change in Gibbs free energy.

Enthalpy

A thermodynamic quantity that describes the total heat content of a system.