Physical Chemistry Quiz & Flashcards

Exothermic reactions release heat energy, while endothermic reactions absorb it.

The equilibrium constant indicates the favorability of a reaction in terms of product and reactant concentrations at equilibrium.

A catalyst lowers the activation energy, increasing the reaction rate without affecting the equilibrium constant.

Sublimation is the process where a solid changes directly to a gas without becoming a liquid first.

The concentration of reactants affects the frequency of collisions, thereby influencing the reaction rate.

Endothermic reactions absorb energy from the surroundings into the system.

Increasing temperature shifts the equilibrium of an exothermic reaction to the left, favoring reactants.

At equilibrium, the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, resulting in no net change.

A buffer solution maintains a relatively constant pH upon the addition of small amounts of acids or bases.

Increasing pressure increases the solubility of gases in liquids, in accordance with Henry's law.

Catalysts do not affect the position of equilibrium; they only speed up the rate of reaching equilibrium.

In a reversible reaction, reactants and products continuously interconvert without reaching completion.

Enthalpy change refers to the heat absorbed or released during a chemical reaction at constant pressure.

At the triple point, all three phases (solid, liquid, gas) coexist in equilibrium.

The Arrhenius equation calculates the reaction rate as a function of temperature and activation energy.

An isothermal process occurs at a constant temperature, with energy transferred as heat or work.

Phase diagrams show the conditions under which different phases of a substance are stable.

A calorimeter measures the heat change associated with a chemical or physical process.

During expansion, a gas does work on its surroundings, increasing volume and reducing pressure.

Colligative properties depend on the number of solute particles, not their identities, in a solution.

Buffers neutralize added acids or bases, maintaining a stable pH level within the solution.

The van't Hoff factor describes how solute particles affect colligative properties like boiling point elevation.

Ideal gases are assumed to have particles with no volume and no intermolecular forces, fitting the ideal gas law.

Titration is used to determine the concentration of a solute in a solution by reacting it with a standard solution.

The solvent dissolves solutes, forming a homogeneous mixture known as a solution.

The Nernst equation calculates the cell potential for electrochemical cells under non-standard conditions.

The concentration of the acid and conjugate base components is crucial for a buffer's effectiveness in resisting pH changes.

Ligands donate electrons to a central metal atom or ion, forming a coordination complex.

In an adiabatic process, there is no heat exchange between the system and its surroundings.

The common ion effect decreases the solubility of a salt in a solution containing a common ion.

Standard electrode potential is defined as the voltage of a half-cell under standard conditions compared to the standard hydrogen electrode.

The Boltzmann distribution describes how energy is distributed among particles in a system at thermal equilibrium.

Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system, often increasing in spontaneous processes.

A negative Gibbs free energy indicates a spontaneous process under constant temperature and pressure.

Increasing temperature generally increases the solubility of most solids in water.

Le Chatelier's principle predicts how a system at equilibrium responds to disturbances, such as changes in concentration, pressure, or temperature.

Phase diagrams illustrate the stability of different phases of a substance under various conditions of temperature and pressure.

The common ion effect decreases the solubility of a compound in a solution that contains a common ion.

Spontaneous processes occur without continuous external influence, often driven by a decrease in Gibbs free energy.

Chemical potential indicates the energy change when an additional particle is introduced to a system, holding entropy and volume constant.

Increasing temperature generally increases the rate of chemical reactions by providing more energy to overcome activation energy.

A catalyst lowers the activation energy of a reaction, allowing it to proceed more quickly.

Molar entropy is the entropy content of one mole of a substance, influencing how energy is dispersed in the system.

Increasing pressure increases the solubility of gases in liquids, as described by Henry's Law.

The van't Hoff factor accounts for the number of solute particles in a solution, affecting colligative properties like freezing point depression.

Partial pressure is the pressure exerted by a single gas in a mixture of gases, contributing to the total pressure.

Increasing temperature decreases the equilibrium constant for an exothermic reaction, favoring the reverse reaction.

In coordination chemistry, ligands donate electron pairs to form bonds with a central metal atom or ion.

An adiabatic process involves no heat exchange with the surroundings, with energy changes occurring through work done.

The Nernst equation predicts the cell potential for electrochemical cells under non-standard concentrations and conditions.