Question

"There are 5 most commonthermodynamics potential- But we will discuss about only three of them - Internal energy(∆U)Enthalpy(∆H)Gibbs free energy(∆G) As Gibbs free energy is also a thermodynamics potential that means it is not related to only energy of bonds andinteratomic interactionsbut also toentropy potential. 1. So now my first question is thatwhat thermodynamics potential actually represent physically not mathmatically? Now talk about those three thermodynamics potential - I find it most confusing that how internal energy , enthalpy and Gibbs free energy are different form of energies or potential although looking at the mathmatical expressions we can easily say Gibbs free energy is different from enthalpy by a additional term -TS or enthalpy is different from internal energy as it has a additional term pV. But how they are different form of energies theoretically?

Answer 1

Internal energy, enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy are different forms of energy due to the inclusion of additional terms in their mathematical expressions. Internal energy represents the total energy content of a system, enthalpy includes additional terms accounting for changes in pressure and volume, and Gibbs free energy incorporates both internal energy and entropy.

Step-by-step explanation:

In thermodynamics, the different thermodynamic potentials represent different types of energy or potential that can be used to describe a system. The three thermodynamic potentials you mentioned, internal energy, enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy, are different forms of energy due to the inclusion of additional terms in their mathematical expressions.

Internal energy (ΔU) represents the total energy content of a system, including both its kinetic and potential energy. It does not take into account the effects of pressure or volume.

Enthalpy (ΔH) includes an additional term, pV, which accounts for the energy required or released due to changes in pressure and volume. Enthalpy is particularly useful in describing reactions that occur at constant pressure, such as most chemical reactions.

Gibbs free energy (ΔG) incorporates both the effects of internal energy and entropy, which measures the extent of disorder in a system. Gibbs free energy is particularly useful in determining whether a reaction is spontaneous or not at constant temperature and pressure.