Which of the following processes are spontaneous? (a) cleaning up your desk (b) sugar dissolving

step 1 So a process, whether it is physical or chemical, can be spontaneous or non -spontaneous. So the

Which of the following processes are spontaneous? (a)...

Key Concepts

Activation Energy

Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required to initiate a process, overcoming the initial energy barrier even for thermodynamically spontaneous processes. While a process might be energetically favorable in the long run (negative ?G), a significant activation energy can slow its rate, meaning the process might not be observed immediately without an initial energy input.

Entropy

Entropy measures the degree of disorder or randomness in a system. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system tends to increase over time, which is a driving force behind the spontaneity of processes. A spontaneous process generally results in an increase in the overall entropy of the system and its surroundings.

Spontaneous Process

A spontaneous process is one that occurs naturally without the need for continuous external energy once initiated. Its occurrence is determined by thermodynamic parameters, meaning that the process leads to an overall decrease in free energy and/or an increase in system and surroundings entropy. Although spontaneous processes may happen slowly due to kinetic barriers, they are energetically favorable under the given conditions.

Gibbs Free Energy

Gibbs free energy is a key thermodynamic quantity that combines the effects of enthalpy and entropy to predict whether a process will occur spontaneously. A process is considered spontaneous if its change in Gibbs free energy (?G) is negative, indicating that the energy available to perform work is favorable for the process to proceed without external input.

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