if you put an ice cube on a table at room temperature, about 29 degree celcius, you know that it will melt. But if the temperature of the room was lowered to 0 degree celcius, what would happen?
Why? (use Gibbs Free Energy equation for the explanation)
Gibbs Free Energy equation is given as -
ΔG = ΔH – TΔS
Melting of ice is an endothermic process, meaning that energy is absorbed. When ice spontaneously melts, ΔH (change in enthalpy) is "positive". ΔS (entropy change) is also positive, ΔG (free energy of reaction) is negative when a reaction proceeds spontaneously. So for melting of ice ΔG is negative.
Now, when temperature is decreased to 0 oC, ΔG will become positive.
A positive ΔG means the reaction is non-spontaneous. So, the ice will not melt.
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