Question

During the evaporation of ethanol, intermolecular forces between molecules are broken, and as a vapor, there are no new forces being created, making it a purely endothermic process. This implies that there is no "hump" in the enthalpy profile, and the potential energy maximum is the final state. If this logic holds, does the reverse process (condensation) have no energy barrier? Would the lack of spontaneity be solely due to entropy changes?

a.The reverse process of condensation does have an energy barrier, and spontaneity is influenced by both enthalpy and entropy changes.
b.The reverse process of condensation has no energy barrier, and spontaneity is solely determined by entropy changes.
c.The lack of spontaneity in the reverse process of condensation is due to both enthalpy and entropy changes.
d.The reverse process of condensation has an energy barrier, and spontaneity is primarily influenced by enthalpy changes.

Answer 1

The reverse process of condensation has an energy barrier and spontaneity is determined by both enthalpy and entropy changes, which involves the release of heat and an increase in order when molecules condense.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reverse process of condensation does indeed involve an energy barrier. During condensation, heat is transferred away from the substance to the surroundings, and this process is exothermic as energy is released when intermolecular forces are reformed. Therefore, spontaneity in phase changes, such as condensation, is influenced not only by changes in enthalpy but also by changes in entropy. Entropy is a measure of disorder and for a process to be spontaneous, both enthalpy and entropy changes are considered. Moreover, a reversible process involves equilibrium states and can be reversed at any moment, contrasting with an irreversible process.