Gibbs Free Energy: Work in H-TS Explained

In summary: H## is the additional energy you will have to furnish for the system to be at the right temperature. In summary, the Gibbs free energy takes into account the work and heat needed to create a system at a constant temperature and pressure, taking into account the energy required to push away the surrounding atmosphere.
  • #1
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the gibbs free energy is defined to be H-TS. In my thermo book, it says that if i were to create a system out from volume V=0 at constant pressure and temperature, the work that i would need to provide is G=H-TS. But for constant pressure i thought the work terms in enthalpy canceled out and were zero and that all that was left was the heat (Q), i thought that's what made the enthalpy quantity useful. why then does the H-TS quantity have work in it? ie, i thought H-TS would just be Q-TS but apparently it's not.. why is this not true?
 
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  • #2
You have
$$
G = H - TS = U + PV - TS
$$
Considering that you are creating a system from nothing, enthalpy is the total energy you will have to furnish to create the system and puch away the atmosphere to make place for it. With the Gibbs free energy, you can consider that you do not have to furnish all the energy, as some can come from the environment in the form of heat (assuming constant temperature). So, when creating a system from nothing, ##G## is what you need to supply to create the system at ##T=0## and puch away the atmosphere to make room for it, considering that the environment will take care of bringing it to the right temperature.
 

Related to Gibbs Free Energy: Work in H-TS Explained

1. What is Gibbs Free Energy?

Gibbs Free Energy is a thermodynamic quantity that measures the amount of energy available to do work in a system at constant temperature and pressure. It is represented by the symbol G and is often used to predict whether a chemical reaction will occur spontaneously or not.

2. How is Gibbs Free Energy related to enthalpy and entropy?

Gibbs Free Energy is related to enthalpy (H) and entropy (S) through the equation G = H - TS, where T is the temperature in Kelvin. This equation shows that Gibbs Free Energy takes into account both the change in energy (enthalpy) and the change in disorder (entropy) of a system.

3. What is the significance of a negative Gibbs Free Energy?

A negative Gibbs Free Energy indicates that the reaction or process is thermodynamically favorable, meaning it will occur spontaneously. This means that the system is releasing energy and becoming more stable.

4. Is Gibbs Free Energy the same as the change in internal energy?

No, Gibbs Free Energy takes into account not only the change in internal energy, but also the change in entropy and temperature. Internal energy only considers the change in energy within the system.

5. How is Gibbs Free Energy used in practical applications?

Gibbs Free Energy is used in many areas of science and engineering, including chemistry, biology, and material science. It is used to predict the direction and spontaneity of chemical reactions, determine the stability of a system, and design processes that are energy efficient.

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