Thermodynamics Quiz & Flashcards

The second law states that the entropy of an isolated system always increases, reflecting the tendency toward disorder.

In an isothermal process for an ideal gas, temperature and thus internal energy remain constant.

An adiabatic process involves no heat exchange with the surroundings.

Entropy is measured in joules per kelvin (J/K) in the SI system.

Enthalpy is a state function, meaning it depends only on the state of the system, not how it got there.

An isobaric process occurs at constant pressure.

A spontaneous reaction has a negative Gibbs free energy change.

The zeroth law establishes the concept of temperature by stating that if two systems are in thermal equilibrium with a third, they are in equilibrium with each other.

Exothermic reactions release heat to the surroundings.

Enthalpy of fusion is the heat required to convert a solid into a liquid at constant temperature and pressure.

An isolated system does not exchange energy or matter with its surroundings.

A calorimeter is used to measure the heat transfer in a chemical or physical process.

The Gibbs phase rule provides a way to determine the number of degrees of freedom in a system given the number of phases and components.

Volume is an extensive property because it depends on the amount of substance present.

During a spontaneous process, the entropy of the universe increases.

The Clausius-Clapeyron equation describes phase transitions, particularly the change in vapor pressure with temperature.

A heat engine is designed to convert heat into mechanical work.

An isochoric process occurs at constant volume.

Chemical potential represents the energy change when an infinitesimal amount of substance is added to a system.

An increase in entropy signifies greater disorder within the system.

Hess's law allows the calculation of enthalpy change for reactions using the sum of enthalpy changes from multiple steps.

An endothermic reaction absorbs heat from the surroundings.

Increasing pressure raises the boiling point of a liquid by requiring more energy to vaporize it.

In an adiabatic process, no heat is exchanged, so q = 0.

As temperature increases, entropy typically increases due to greater molecular motion and disorder.

A spontaneous reaction is characterized by a negative Gibbs free energy change.

A reversible process is an idealized process that occurs infinitely slowly, allowing the system to remain in equilibrium.

Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree Celsius.

A heat pump moves heat from a cooler area to a warmer area, essentially reversing the natural heat flow direction.

Higher entropy can favor the feasibility of a reaction by contributing to a negative Gibbs free energy change.

Enthalpy is defined as the internal energy plus the product of pressure and volume (H = U + PV).

Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system.

An isothermal process occurs at constant temperature.

The third law implies that as a system approaches absolute zero, its entropy approaches a constant minimum.

A phase diagram indicates the conditions of temperature and pressure under which different phases of a substance are stable.

Heat is the transfer of energy due to temperature differences, while work is energy transfer due to force acting over a distance.

A phase change involves the absorption or release of heat without a change in temperature.

In an isochoric process, the volume of the system remains constant.

A refrigerator removes heat from its interior to maintain a cooler temperature inside compared to the exterior.

A thermodynamic cycle is a series of processes that returns a system to its initial state, often doing work in the process.

Enthalpy of vaporization is the heat required to convert a liquid to vapor at constant temperature and pressure.

During an isothermal expansion, the pressure of a gas decreases as volume increases at constant temperature.

Higher temperatures typically increase reaction rates by providing more energy for molecular collisions.

Latent heat is the heat absorbed or released during a phase change without changing temperature.

Density is an intensive property because it does not depend on the amount of substance present.

Heat naturally flows from regions of higher temperature (lower entropy) to regions of lower temperature (higher entropy) to increase overall entropy.

In an isochoric process, internal energy changes only through heat exchange, as volume (and thus work done) remains constant.