THERMOCHEMISTRY

PHYSICAL SCIENCE 20
DO YOU REMEMBER?
• In a previous lesson we learned the First Law of Thermodynamics
• This law is a version of the Law of Conservation of Energy
• The big idea is that the total energy in an isolated system is
conserved.

**During physical and chemical processes, energy

may change form, but it may never be created or
destroyed!**
WHAT THIS MEANS…
• If a chemical system gains energy, the surroundings lose energy
• If a chemical system loses energy, the surroundings gain energy

We seen examples of this when we looked at latent heat applications.

In a cooler, when the ice melts, heat energy is gained by the system
which means the surroundings lost energy. The surroundings in this
case was food. Since the food lost heat energy, the food cooled off.
EXOTHERMIC REACTIONS
• A change in a chemical system where heat EXITS the
chemical system (heat is released to the surroundings)

• Trick to remember this: Exo sounds like Exit…. kind of…

EXOTHERMIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
DIAGRAMS
Since energy is released to the surroundings in an exothermic
reaction, we can say energy is a product of an exothermic reaction
When writing the reaction equation we include energy as one of the
products.
Example:
2C8H18 + 25O2 → 16CO2 + 18H2O + Energy
• Since energy is
released during the
reaction, the
products are at a
lower energy than
the reactants and the
energy value (ΔH) is
negative.
ENDOTHERMIC REACTIONS
• A change in a chemical system where heat ENTERS the
chemical system (heat is absorbed from the surroundings)

• Trick to remember this: Endo sounds like Into…. kind of…

ENDOTHERMIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
DIAGRAMS
Since energy is absorbed from the surroundings in an endothermic
reaction, we can say energy is a reactant of an exothermic reaction
When writing the reaction equation we include energy as one of the
reactants
Example:
Energy + Ba(OH)2 8H2O + 2NH4SCN → Ba(SCN)2 + 2NH4OH +
10H2O
• The energy of the
products is higher than
the energy of the
reactants so the energy
value (ΔH) is positive
 ΔH means change in Enthalpy

Enthalpy - is essentially heat

WHAT DOES energy. It is specifically a measure of
ΔH ACTUALLY how much “internal energy” is
MEAN? present in a system.

So ΔH = Hproducts - Hreactants
• In an exothermic reaction, heat
exits the system so the
reactants have higher energy
than the products so the change
in enthalpy or change in energy
is negative making ΔH negative.

• In an endothermic reaction,
heat enters the system so the
products have higher energy
than the reactants so the
change in enthalpy or energy is
positive making ΔH positive
• Thermochemical equation: a balanced chemical
equation that includes the physical states of reactants and
products and the value of ∆H.

Example:
PRACTICE
• Identify the following reactions as exothermic or endothermic and
draw a potential energy diagram to communicate the enthalpy
change
PRACTICE
• Identify the following reactions as exothermic or endothermic and
draw a potential energy diagram to communicate the enthalpy
change
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
Identify the following reactions as exothermic or
endothermic and re-write them as thermochemical
equations.
Use the enthalpy diagram below to answer the following questions:

Is this an endothermic or exothermic reaction?

Is energy lost or gained?

Write out the thermochemical equation for the above reaction.

Challenge: How much energy would result if 6 mol H2 reacted

instead of two? (Do you remember mols from Science 10?)