Thermochemistry

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/thermochemistry

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific field?Sub-discipline of chemical thermodynamics
2. What is the key principle?Quantifies heat energy exchange in chemical reactions and phase transitions
3. How can we tell if a reaction gives off heat or takes in heat?By looking at the change in enthalpy, ΔH. A negative ΔH means the reaction releases heat, while a positive ΔH means it absorbs heat.
4. What happens when a reaction is exothermic?The reaction releases heat to its surroundings, making bond formation more favorable.

Enthalpy Change (ΔH): The heat absorbed or released by a system at constant pressure during a process.
Heat of Formation (ΔHf°): The enthalpy change when one mole of a compound is formed from its elements in their standard states.
Gibbs Free Energy (ΔG): A thermodynamic potential that measures the maximum reversible work obtainable from a system at constant temperature and pressure.