Question

You are studying a particular reaction. You find the reaction in a book and read delta G naught prime from a table. Can you calculate delta G for this reaction in a living human being without any more information?

Answer 1

To calculate delta G for a reaction in a living human being, additional information such as the enthalpy change and the entropy change specific to that reaction in a biological system is required.

Step-by-step explanation:

The change in free energy, delta G (ΔG), can be calculated for any system, such as a chemical reaction, by subtracting the amount of energy lost to entropy (ΔS) from the total energy change of the system, enthalpy (ΔH). The formula to calculate ΔG is ΔG = ΔH - TΔS, where T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin.

In order to calculate delta G for a reaction in a living human being, you would need additional information such as the enthalpy change and the entropy change specific to that reaction in a biological system. The delta G naught prime value from a table only represents the standard free energy change under standard conditions, and would not be sufficient to calculate delta G for a reaction in a living human being.