Chapter 5: Energetics and thermochemistry

5.2- Hess’s Law

Hess’s law states that the enthalpy change for any chemical reaction is independent of the
route, provided the starting conditions and final conditions, and reactants and products, are
the same.

Reversing the direction of a reaction reverses the sign of ∆H.

Standard Enthalpy changes of reaction:

The standard enthalpy of formation of a substance is the enthalpy change that occurs when
one mole of the substances is formed from its elements in their standard states under
standard conditions of 298K (25 degrees) and 1.00 x 105 Pa.

The standard enthalpy chance of formation of an element in its most stables form is zero.
There is no chemical change and so no enthalpy change when an element is formed from
itself.

Formula: ∆Hreaction=∑∆H(products)- ∑∆H(reactants)

Enthalpy of reaction=sum of enthalpy (products)- sum of enthalpy (reactants)

Chapter 5.3- Bond enthalpies:

Understandings:
 Bond forming releases energy and bond breaking requires energy
 Average bond enthalpy is the energy needed to break one mole of a bond in a
gaseous molecule averaged over similar compounds.

Average bond enthalpies:

- The average bond enthalpy is the energy needed to break one mole of bonds in
gaseous molecules under standard conditions averaged over similar compounds.

Endothermic and Exothermic:

- Endothermic processes involve the separation of particles which are held together
by a force of attraction
- Exothermic processes involve the bringing together of particles which have an
attractive force between them.

The bonds in oxygen and ozone are broken by UV of different wavelengths:

The bonds in oxygen and ozone are both broken when they absorb UV radiation of sufficient
energy. The double bond in O2 is stronger than the 1.5 bond in ozone and so is broken by
radiation of higher energy and shorter wavelengths.

- The energy Ephoton of a photon of light is related to its frequency ‘v’ by Planck’s
equation.
Ephoton= hv
- The wavelength is related to the frequency: v=c/frequency, where c is the speed of
light. Substituting for v in Planck’s equation:
 Ephoton=hxc/frequency

As oxygen has the strongest bond, shorter wavelength radiation is needed to break its
bonds.
- A free radical is a species with an unpaired electron.