What is position of equilibrium?
I’m sure you will all have seen a strip of magnesium burning in a Bunsen burner flame. It is a
Category: Physical chemistry
Heterogeneous catalysis and catalytic converters
Catalysts are able to lower the activation enthalpy, Ea, for a reaction, increasing the number of successful collisions between reactants
Continue readingHeterogeneous catalysis and catalytic converters
The Greenhouse Effect
Global warming and the greenhouse effect are topics that everyone feels they know well enough (because you’ve done them to
Using the Nernst equation to calculate the electrode potential of a half cell
The standard electrode potential for a half cell means exactly that – everything happening under standard conditions (298K, 100 kPa,
Continue readingUsing the Nernst equation to calculate the electrode potential of a half cell
Electrolysis of solutions
Electrolysis uses electricity (energy) to drive a non-spontaneous reaction which is useful for recharging batteries, splitting water to make hydrogen
The chemistry of fuel cells
Fuel cells commonly use the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce a voltage, with water being the only waste
The chemistry of batteries
Modern storage cells (batteries) can be divided into the non-rechargeable kind (primary cells) and the rechargeable kind (secondary cells). Primary
Using the relationship between potential difference and Gibbs energy to calculate a value for the equilibrium constant, K
Ecell⦵ (the maximum potential difference between two half cells) is measured when the reactants are under standard conditions (1.00 mol
Understanding the relationship between the potential difference for an electrochemical cell and Gibbs energy
The spontaneity or feasibility of a reaction can be described by both a positive Ecell⦵ value or a negative value
The chemistry of corrosion
The rusting of iron can be summarised by the equation 4 Fe(s) + 3 O2(g) + H2O(l) ⇾ 2 Fe2O3•xH2O(s)