Question

Consider these hypothetical chemical reactions:

A⇌B,ΔG= 14.3 kJ/mol

B⇌C,ΔG= -28.4 kJ/mol

C⇌D,ΔG= 9.10 kJ/mol

What is the free energy, ΔG, for the overall reaction, A⇌D? Express your answer with the appropriate units. ΔG =

Answer 1

To find the overall free energy change for the reaction A⇌D, sum the individual changes of each step resulting in a ΔG of -4.99 kJ/mol, indicating that the overall reaction is spontaneous.

Step-by-step explanation:

The free energy change (ΔG) for a series of chemical reactions can be calculated by adding together each of the individual free energy changes for the reactions in a sequence.

Given the hypothetical reactions A⇌B with ΔG of 14.3 kJ/mol, B⇌C with ΔG of -28.4 kJ/mol, and C⇌D with ΔG of 9.10 kJ/mol, the overall free energy change for the reaction A⇌D can be found by summing these values:

ΔGoverall = ΔGA⇌B + ΔGB⇌C + ΔGC⇌D

ΔGoverall = 14.3 kJ/mol + (-28.4 kJ/mol) + 9.10 kJ/mol

ΔGoverall = -4.99 kJ/mol

Therefore, the free energy change for the overall reaction A⇌D is -4.99 kJ/mol.