Basic Chemistry Thermodynamics: Solve the

challenge of storing renewable energy

Question 1: How is the energy for this process stored?
✓ Electricity is used to pump the water from the sea to the reservoir. Water flowing back down
drives a generator which makes electricity.
– A generator converts solar energy into electricity. Electricity is used to power a watering
system.
– A generator converts solar energy into electricity used to pump water from the sea to the
reservoir.
– Electricity powers a watering system. Water flows from the reservoir to the sea turning a
generator which makes electricity.

Question 2: Can you think of a reason why this way of storing energy is not ideal for our solar power
plant?
✓ Because the solar power plant is located in a desert, far from large bodies of water.
– Potential energy is not as good as electrical energy.
– Moving water around is not storing energy.
– Because it is a solar power plant and not a water power plant.

Question 3: Lithium ion batteries are not used for long term storage of energy. Why do you think
that is?
✓ Because they lose charge over time.
– Because they take a long time to charge.
– Because they can only be used for small items, like phones.
– Because they are not safe to use.

Question 4: How do you think we can determine how much energy is stored in a chemical
compound?
✓ Burn it and measure how much heat it releases.
– Measure the electrochemical properties using cyclic voltammetry.
– Put it into a fuel tank and measure how far the car can drive.
– Measure the energy in the bonds using infrared spectroscopy.

Question 5: The unit of enthalpy is Jjoules. What is Jjoules a measure of?

✓ Energy
– Temperature
– Sugar content
– Fat content

Question 6: Which part of the equation stays constant in this experiment?

✓ V (volume)
– U (energy)
– H (enthalpy)
– p (pressure)

Question 7: What happens to the equation ∆H = ∆U + V∆p if the change in pressure is very small? It
may help you to look at this image.

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 ✓ Then ∆U ■ V∆p, so we can assume ∆H = ∆U
– Then V∆p = V, so we can assume ∆H = ∆U + V
– Then ∆U ■ V∆p, so we can assume ∆H = V∆p
– Then V∆p = ∆p, so we can assume ∆H = ∆U + ∆p

Question 8: Which of these statements regarding the storage materials is false?

✓ LP gas and gasoline has the same specific energy and thus are equally well suited as fuels
for a vehicle.
– The energy density of Li ion batteries is lower because it's another type of storage material.
– Even though carbohydrates have a lower specific energy than hydrocarbon fuels, their
energy density is higher because they are solids.
– Hydrogen has the highest specific energy, but its energy density is quite low.

Question 9: The combustion of octane is an exothermic reaction. Which statement is true for an
exothermic reaction?
✓ It releases heat because the reactants have a higher energy than the products.
– It consumes heat because the reactants have a higher energy than the products.
– It releases heat because the reactants have a lower energy than the products.
– It consumes heat because the reactants have a lower energy than the products.

Question 10: We saw in the calorimeter experiment that the combustion of a fuel is exothermic.

What can you then say about the formation of a fuel?

✓ The reaction for formation of the fuel is the opposite, so it is endothermic
– The reaction for formation of the fuel is not related to the combustion.
– You cannot tell without performing an experiment.
– The reaction for formation of the fuel is the same, so it is also exothermic

Question 11: Do you know what entropy is?

✓ Entropy is a measure of the disorder of a system.
– Entropy determines whether a reaction is favorable or not.
– Entropy is a measure of the heat of a system.
– Entropy is a measure of the total energy of a system.

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Question 12: Which of these reactions leads to an increase in the entropy of the system?
✓ Ice melting
– Vapour condensing
– Iron rusting
– Photosynthesis

Question 13: Since the unit of ∆Henthalpy is Jjoules, the unit of temperature is Kkelvin and the unit
of ∆S is J/Kentropy is joules per kelvin, what is then the unit of ∆GGibbs free energy? Remember
that all the equations are available in the media tab.
✓ The unit for ∆G is J.
– The unit for ∆G is J/K2.
– The unit for ∆G is J/K.
– The unit for ∆G is K.

Question 14: The reaction at the holotable is spontaneous. It has a negative ∆Hchange in enthalpy
and a positive ∆Schange in entropy. What will be the sign of ∆Gthe change in gibbs free energy for
a spontaneous reaction?
✓ We subtract a positive value from a negative value, so ∆G will be negative.
– The two will even out and ∆G will be very close to zero.
– The sign of ∆G will depend on the temperature.
– We subtract a negative value from a positive value, so ∆G will be positive.

Question 15: What happens to the equation ∆G = ∆H - T∆S when the temperature is 0 K?
✓ When T=0 then ∆G = ∆H
– When T=0 then ∆G = ∆S
– When T=0 then ∆G = ∆H + ∆S
– When T=0 then ∆G = ∆H - ∆S

Question 16: Let us start with a familiar example: The melting of ice. Where on the right screen do
you think this process belongs?
✓ Endothermic and increases entropy (top right corner)
– Exothermic and decreases entropy (bottom left corner)
– Exothermic and increases entropy (top left corner)
– Endothermic and decreases entropy (bottom right corner)

Question 17: Look at the graph. At what temperature does the melting of ice start to be
spontaneous?
✓ At 273 K (0 °C)
– At 1102 K (866 °C)
– At 912 K (639 °C)
– At 582 K (309 °C)

Question 18: Let’s try with another one: Photosynthesis.

Where on the right screen do you think this process belongs?

✓ Endothermic and decreases entropy (bottom right corner)
– Exothermic and decreases entropy (bottom left corner)
– Exothermic and increases entropy (top left corner)
– Endothermic and increases entropy (top right corner)

Question 19: This one should be easy for you. It is the reaction from the calorimeter: The burning of
a fuel.

Where on the right screen do you think this process belongs?

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 ✓ Exothermic and increases entropy (top left corner)
– Exothermic and decreases entropy (bottom left corner)
– Endothermic and decreases entropy (bottom right corner)
– Endothermic and increases entropy (top right corner)

Question 20: Let’s look at one final case: The rusting of iron.

What do you think, where does this belong?

✓ Exothermic and decreases entropy (bottom left corner)
– Exothermic and increases entropy (top left corner)
– Endothermic and decreases entropy (bottom right corner)
– Endothermic and increases entropy (top right corner)

Question 21: Does this mean that cars don’t rust in the summer? Look at the graph. At what
temperature does the rusting of iron stop being spontaneous?
✓ At 1499 K (1226 oC)
– At 273 K (0 oC)
– At 675 K (402 oC)
– At 1803 K (1530 oC)

Question 22: Can you tell which one of the four examples correspond to the making of a
hydrocarbon fuel from CO2 and water?
✓ ∆H ■ 0 and ∆S ■ 0 - like photosynthesis
– ∆H ■ 0 and ∆S ■ 0 - like the burning of fuel
– ∆H ■ 0 and ∆S ■ 0 - like the rusting of iron
– ∆H ■ 0 and ∆S ■ 0 - like the melting of ice

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