Question #fb528

1 Answer
Jan 7, 2017

DeltaH > DeltaE for color(red)((2)), and DeltaH ~~ DeltaE for color(red)((1)).

For ideal gases, DeltaH = DeltaE for color(red)((1)).


Recall that DeltaH is the change in enthalpy and DeltaE is the change in internal energy.

In an open container, we should recognize the condition of constant pressure (the phrase "open to the air", or "coffee-cup calorimeter", imply constant pressure as well). As a result, we can use this equation:

DeltaH = DeltaE + Delta(PV)

= DeltaE + PDeltaV + cancel(VDeltaP + DeltaPDeltaV)

= DeltaE + PDeltaV

where the result is something you should recognize (it was given in your textbook). Note that E should not be confused with the total energy.

Your two reactions were:

"H"_2(g) + "Br"_2(g) -> 2"HBr"(g) " "" "" "" "" "" "color(red)((1))

"C"(s) + 2"H"_2"O"(g) -> 2"H"_2(g) + "CO"_2(g) " "" "color(red)((2))

If we assume ideal gases, then in color(red)((1)) we have two "mol"s of gases going to two "mol"s of gases, and in color(red)((2)), we have two "mol"s of gases going to three "mol"s of gases.

Note that the change in volume due to gas formation is significantly more than due to liquid formation, for instance (gases take up way more space, since they generally have a density over 1000 times as small as liquids or solids).

In this approximation, color(red)((2)) has a nonnegative in volume, since Deltan_(gas) > 0, and PDeltaV = Deltan_(gas)RT for a process at constant pressure containing ideal gases.

Therefore, DeltaH > DeltaE for color(red)((2)), and DeltaH ~~ DeltaE for color(red)((1)).