Module 8: Thermochemistry

Thermochemistry is concerned with heat and energy transfer during a chemical reaction. These transfers include heat flow traveling to its surroundings or from its surroundings. Some reactions will need a catalyst to start the reaction, while others need no activation energy. In this module, you learned how thermostoichiometry relates the amount of energy released or absorbed in a chemical reaction to the Law of Conversation of Matter. This means that the amount of reactions will determine the type and amount of products. Exploring entropy allows you to observe how chemical reactions are organized. Using Gibb’s free energy, you explored how to determine the spontaneity of a reaction. Gibb’s equation relates the enthalpy of a system to its entropy. Studying phase changes allows you to observe heating curves. Finally, your trip through thermochemistry ended with an exploration of calorimetry. You used this laboratory technique to observe the energy changes that take place when two substances combine.