If a reaction is exothermic, is the change in entropy positive or negative? I know that the change in enthalpy is negative, but I don't know about entropy.
2006-12-19 17:36:25 · 3 answers · asked by uoprummel 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
When the reaction is exothermic, it releases energy and generally has a lesser energy in it. This means that the entropy energy would be negative.
2006-12-19 17:50:22 · answer #1 · answered by PIPI B 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This question cannot be answered with the information that you have given. Just because a reaction is exothermic/endothermic, you cannot draw a conclusion as to whether or not the entropy is positive or negative. The two quantities are independent of one another.
2006-12-20 01:46:56 · answer #2 · answered by Zack 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is no relationship between the two. You need to look at the balanced chemical equation, and see if there are more moles of gas, for example, on the right hand side than the left hand side. That is a simple way of working out whether the entropy change might be positive or not.
2006-12-20 02:35:53 · answer #3 · answered by Gervald F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋