Q=mct : Q is heat flow (transfer of thermal energy from a hot area to a cool area), m is specific

heat (energy required to increase temperature by 1 degree);

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low specific heat = substance takes little heat to increase the temperature

high specific heat= takes a lot of energy to raise the temperature of substance

Standard lab conditions: 101.3 kPa or 1 atm, 25C (K= # C + 273.15 K)

Exothermic vs. Endothermic:
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Exothermic releases heat, heat flows to the surroundings; reactant side; - sign
Energy + A + B AB

Endothermic absorbs heat from the surroundings; product side; + sign

A + B AB + Energy

Hesss Law: Enthalpy change for a reaction is equal to the sum of enthalpy changes for the
individual steps in the process. The enthalpy difference is independent of pathway
-

Target reaction: reaction for which enthalpy is unknown

Conservation of energy: heat in=heat out; energy cannot be created or destroyed

Units: 1 cal=4.18 J; Molar Hc= KJ/mol; K= 273. 15 + C
Calculation w/ enthalpy or physical molar heats//using heads of formation to find enthalpy:
-

Molar enthalpy of formation: enthalpy change that occurs when 1 mol is formed from
its elements in their standard lab conditions

Molar heat of combustion: Heat released (q) / moles

Enthalpy of reaction: Hproducts - Hreactants

H = Heat of reaction is the enthalpy change (amount of energy absorbed) when a chemical
reaction takes place. Negative sign if exothermic (heat is released). Units in joules (or calories)
Factors that affect reaction rate (depends on energy pathway that reaction follows):
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Temperature (increase in temp. increases average kinetic energy = more collisions =

increased reaction rate; lower temperature = lower reaction rate [usually])

Surface Area (increase in surface area increases the rate of heterogeneous reactions)

Nature of Reactants (depends on reactants and bonds involved)

Concentration (increase in rate expected if concentration of 1+ reactants is increased)

Catalysts (substances that change the rate of a chemical reaction without being
permanently consumed) provides an alternative energy pathway

Exothermic reaction = more stable = more likely to be thermo chemically favored

Thermochemical equation: Balanced equation that includes enthalpy change
Molar heats:

Hdeposition= exothermic (-)

Hsublimation= endothermic (+)

Hfreezing= exothermic (-)

Hfusion/melting= endothermic (+)

Hcondensation= exothermic (-)

Hvap/boiling= endothermic (+)

Activation energy: minimum energy needed to initiate a chemical reaction

-

Only at highest hill of energy diagram

Catalyst: substance that slows or speeds reaction (assume the latter unless otherwise specified)
-

Enthalpy does not change, intermediates do

Reaction without catalyst has higher activation energy

Catalyst comes out of reaction like it came in = not in products
Heats of formation: enthalpy change when one mol of compound is formed at 25C and 1 atm
Enthropy: tendency toward randomness; a measure of the degree of randomness of the particles
in a system