4.3.1

Introduction to Entropy

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Entropy

Entropy is a measure of disorder. Entropy always increases during a reaction.

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Entropy

  • ΔH is not enough to determine whether or not a reaction happens.
    • When NaCl dissolves, the reaction is endothermic - but it still happens!
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Stability

  • Substances are more stable when they have greater disorder.
  • This means that everything tends to increase its disorder.
    • This is why your phone cables get tangled in your pocket!
    • It’s also why NaCl dissolves in water - its entropy increases.
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Technical definition

  • Entropy is technically defined as the number of ways molecules can be arranged, and the number of ways their energy can be arranged between them.
  • Entropy is given the symbol S.
    • A big and positive value of S indicates a large disorder.

Factors Affecting Entropy

Entropy is affected by many factors, including temperature, physical state and number of moles.

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Temperature

  • According to kinetic-molecular theory, the temperature of a substance is proportional to the average kinetic energy of its particles.
  • Raising the temperature of a substance will result in more extensive vibrations of the particles in solids and more rapid translations of the particles in liquids and gases.
  • At higher temperatures, the distribution of kinetic energies among the atoms or molecules of the substance is also broader than at lower temperatures.
    • Thus, the entropy for any substance increases with temperature.
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Physical state

  • The molecules in gases are free to move. This means that they have a higher entropy than solids and liquids.
  • In the same way, liquids have higher entropy than solids.
  • Solids have lower entropy than liquids.
    • In the solid phase, the atoms or molecules are restricted to nearly fixed positions with respect to each other and are capable of only modest oscillations about these positions.
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Phase changes

  • The entropy of a substance increases (ΔS > 0) as it transforms from a relatively ordered solid, to a less-ordered liquid, and then to a still less-ordered gas.
  • The entropy decreases (ΔS < 0) as the substance transforms from a gas to a liquid and then to a solid.
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Number of moles

  • There are more ways you can arrange ten particles than two particles. So the more moles of substance, the greater the entropy.
  • Entropy also increases in a reaction that also has more moles of gaseous products than gaseous reactants.
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Conditions for a reaction

  • This all means that a reaction is more likely to happen if:
    • The reaction increases the number of moles of substance.
    • The reaction produces gas and consumes solids.
    • The reaction is exothermic.

Jump to other topics

1Structure - Models of the Particulate of Matter

2Structure - Models of Bonding & Structure

3Structure - Classification of Matter

3.1The Periodic Table: Classification of Elements

3.2Periodic Trends

3.3Group 1 Alkali Metals

3.4Halogens

3.5Noble gases, group 18

3.6Functional Groups: Classification of Organic

3.7Functional Group Chemistry

3.8Alkanes

3.9Alcohols

3.10Halogenoalkanes

4Reactivity - What Drives Chemical Reaction?

5Reactivity - How Much, How Fast & How Far?

6Reactivity - The Mechanisms of Chemical Change

7Measurement, Data Processing & Analysis

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