Themes > Science > Chemistry > Miscellenous > Help file Index > Spontaneity and Entropy > The Gibbs free energy and the reaction quotient


It is possible relate the standard Gibbs free energy (At 250C, 1 atm pressure) and the Gibbs free energy at any temperature and pressure through the following equation:

DG = DG0 + RTln(Q)
where Q is the reaction quotient that we studied during equilibrium and R is the gas constant. The usual rules for Q apply: gases enter as partial pressures, solutions as molar concentration and solids and liquids don't enter in at all, and all temperatures are in Kelvin. (Since Q = K at equilibrium, we can get equilibrium data from the free energy)

Example: What is DG0 and DG for the following reaction at 1200 K, all gases at 0.30 atm pressure?

2SO3(g) -> 2SO2(g) + O2(g)

Solution: First, we need to compute DG0 the usual way through thermodynamic data

Compound DHf0 (kJ/mol) DS0 (J/mol*K)
SO3(g) -395.7 +256.7
SO2(g) -296.8 +248.1
O2(g) 0.0 +205.0

Next, compute DH0 and DS0 and get DG0 at 250C and 1 atm pressure

DH = (2*DHSO20 + 1*DHO20) - (2*DHSO30)
DH = (2* -296.8 + 1*0) - (2*395.7)
DH = +197.8 kJ/mol
DS = (2*DSSO20 + 1*DSO20) - (2*DSSO30)
DS = (2* 248.1 + 1*205) -(2*256.7)
DS = +187.8 J/mol*K = 0.1878 kJ/mol*K
DG0 = DH0 - T*DS0
DG0 = 197.8 + 298*0.1878
DG0 = 142 kJ/mol

Now that we have DG0, we can compute DG at 1200 K and 0.30 atm partial pressure for all gases. Q has the same form as the equilibrium constant for the reaction:

Q = (PSO2)2PO2/ (PSO3)2
Q = (0.30)2*0.30/(0.30)2
Q = 0.30

Finally now we can compute DG

DG = DG0 +RTln(Q)
DG = 142 kJ/mol + 8.314*10-3 kJ/mol*K * 1200 K * ln(0.30)
DG = 142 kJ/mol - 12.0 kJ/mol = 130 kJ/mol


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