Thermodynamics Of Borax LAB REPORT
Heats Effect on Borax
By: Alexis H. Prince
Department of Chemistry; Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC 29526
April 13, 2015
Introduction
Borax has many uses, whether it’s being used as an antiseptic, helping to cure people, getting rid of pests, or even assisting fruit trees in their growth. It is actually the most important source of the element boron, and has been used for years as a “water softening agent.” Borax was found forming in saline lakes, or one may find it in Boron, California. Historically, “the first Borax specimens came from several dry lake deposits in Tibet” (The Mineral Borax). This experiment was conducted to determine the standard entropy and enthalpy of the dissolving reaction of borax in water. The thermodynamic properties of the reaction helped to determine the change in heat and spontaneity within the system.
Entropy is said to be the tendency for the universe to move towards disorder. If the value of entropy is positive, then the amount of disorder would increase within the system, causing the reaction to occur spontaneously. However, if the value of entropy is negative, the amount of disorder would decrease, this could cause a spontaneous or non-spontaneous reaction, depending on the value of enthalpy. Enthalpy is the total energy within a system in relation to work and heat. If the value of enthalpy was negative, then the reaction is exothermic. But, if the value of enthalpy was positive, then the reaction will be endothermic.
A doctor by the name of J. Gibbs came up with an equation, which combined contributions from enthalpy and entropy. This equation provided a way to measure the energy content within a system which allows one to evaluate the spontaneity of a reaction. If there is a lot of stored heat energy, then the substance has a lot of free energy. But, the more disorder and disruption the substance has, the less free energy it has. The borax was tested to see what would happen when different temperatures of heat
By: Alexis H. Prince
Department of Chemistry; Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC 29526
April 13, 2015
Introduction
Borax has many uses, whether it’s being used as an antiseptic, helping to cure people, getting rid of pests, or even assisting fruit trees in their growth. It is actually the most important source of the element boron, and has been used for years as a “water softening agent.” Borax was found forming in saline lakes, or one may find it in Boron, California. Historically, “the first Borax specimens came from several dry lake deposits in Tibet” (The Mineral Borax). This experiment was conducted to determine the standard entropy and enthalpy of the dissolving reaction of borax in water. The thermodynamic properties of the reaction helped to determine the change in heat and spontaneity within the system.
Entropy is said to be the tendency for the universe to move towards disorder. If the value of entropy is positive, then the amount of disorder would increase within the system, causing the reaction to occur spontaneously. However, if the value of entropy is negative, the amount of disorder would decrease, this could cause a spontaneous or non-spontaneous reaction, depending on the value of enthalpy. Enthalpy is the total energy within a system in relation to work and heat. If the value of enthalpy was negative, then the reaction is exothermic. But, if the value of enthalpy was positive, then the reaction will be endothermic.
A doctor by the name of J. Gibbs came up with an equation, which combined contributions from enthalpy and entropy. This equation provided a way to measure the energy content within a system which allows one to evaluate the spontaneity of a reaction. If there is a lot of stored heat energy, then the substance has a lot of free energy. But, the more disorder and disruption the substance has, the less free energy it has. The borax was tested to see what would happen when different temperatures of heat
References: (accessed 02 Mar. 2015). Web. 05 Mar. 2015.