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CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM
Basic Geochemistry Teaching Team
FTG
2017
GEOCHEMICAL SYSTEM
geochemical system is an open system that may be studied within 2 basic
frameworks:
➤ thermodynamic system
a state of equilibrium where environmental parameters, such as
pressure and temperature, are imposed on the bulk composition of the
system. This approach is used to predict the system stability and the impact
of changing environmental condition
➤ kinetic system
wherein the pathway along the system are moving toward some state of
local equilibrium, which in turn determines the rate of change along the
pathway. in the context of kinetic approach, which is relevant to geochemical
process, dissolution-precipitation, exchange-adsorption, oxidation-reduction,
vaporisation and formation of new phases.
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THERMODYNAMICS
Thermodynamics
a system:
Some portion of the universe that you wish to study
the surroundings:
The adjacent part of the universe outside the system
Unstable:
falling or rolling
Stable:
at rest in lowest energy state
Metastable:
in low-energy perch
H = enthalpy
ΔH = Σ nH (products) - Σ nH (reactants)
ΔH = Σ nH (products) - Σ nH (reactants)
ΔH = H(H2O(g)) - H(H2O(l))
ΔH = (-57.80) - (-68.32) = 10.52 kcal
The reaction is endothermic (i.e., sweating is a mechanism
for cooling the body)
Heat Capacity
When heat is added to a solid, liquid, or gas, the temperature
of the substance increases:
dq = C dT
dq = dH
dH = C dT, at constant pressure (important in geochemistry)
C = heat capacity
T = temperature
ΔS = S(H2O(l)) - S(H2O(g))
ΔS = 45.10 - 16.71 = 28.39 cal/deg
When ΔS is positive, entropy of the system increases with
the change of state;
G = H - TS
Where:
G = Gibbs Free Energy
H = Enthalpy (heat content)
T = Temperature in Kelvins
S = Entropy (can think of as randomness)
Gibbs Free Energy
• Products and reactants are in equilibrium when their Gibbs
free energies are equal