CHEMISTRY WEEK 7

   Energy exists in different forms. Some of which can felt or seen. It is defined by its effect on
matter or the ability of an object or system to do work on another object or system or to transfer
heat.  Let us discuss each of the six basic forms in which we use energy in our daily life:

Mechanical Energy
         Kinetic mechanical energy is the energy that a body possesses by virtue of its motion.  On
the other hand, potential mechanical energy is the energy that a body possesses by virtue of its
position in relation to a reference point.

         Let us consider a book on a shelf in the library shown by Figure 8.29, as an example. When
the book is just sitting on the shelf, it is said to have potential energy. However, if it is nudged
off the shelf, it will fall caused by the gravity and this give the book kinetic energy.

Figure 8.29
Chemical Energy
          Chemical energy is the energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds in the form of
microscopic potential energy. This exists due to the electric and magnetic forces of attraction
exerted between the different parts of each chemical compound. When these chemical
compounds get rearranged, it causes this energy to be released or added.

          In our body, the blood sugar (glucose) has chemical energy because these chemical
compound releases energy when reactions occur with oxygen. This energy released is used by
our muscles to move (generate mechanical force) and generate heat.

          Battery is also a great example, as well as fuels, wood, coal, and even the food we eat.

Thermal or Heat Energy

          Thermal energy is the energy resulting when atoms or molecules move. If these particles
move faster, the resulting thermal energy will also be greater. The temperature of an object is a
measure of how much thermal or heat energy it has. When the object has a higher temperature,
this also means its molecules are moving and/or vibrating faster.

          An example to this is when you cook something in the kitchen. The heat energy from the
stove burner heats up the food in the pan.

Electrical Energy
          Electrical energy is the energy resulting from the flow of electrically charged particles or
the movement of electrons among the atoms of matter. It is considered as one of the most useful
and versatile forms of energy as it is mostly used in our day to day activities powering our
electronics and machines in the house.

Figure 8.30
Nuclear Energy
          Nuclear energy is the energy produced when reactions occur in an atom. Fusion occurs
when the two nuclei join together to form a larger nucleus or particle. With this process, energy
is released in the form of light and heat. Fission, on the other hand, occurs when the nucleus of a
larger atom splits into two smaller atoms. This also produces huge amount energy in the form of
light and heat.

Radiation
          Radiation is the energy transmitted in the form of rays, waves, or particles like the visible
light that we can see, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, etc.

Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions

          The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can be converted from one form to
another, but is neither created nor destroyed.

          In chemical reactions, these involve change in energy between the reactants and products.
This is because of the absorption of energy when chemical bonds broken or the release of energy
when chemical bonds are formed. With these changes in energy during chemical reactions, the
total energy of a system shall remain unchanged because of the Law of Conservation of Energy.
          The energy change in a chemical reaction is because of the difference in the amounts of
stored chemical energy between the reactants and the products. This stored chemical energy, or
heat content, of the system is known as its enthalpy.

Exothermic Reactions
          This type of reaction releases heat and light into their surroundings. In this reaction or
process, the products have less enthalpy compared to the reactants. This results to a negative
enthalpy of reaction since the energy required to break the reactants’ bonds is less than the
energy released when new bonds form in the products. Heat and light are released as an excess
energy from the reaction.

          Combustion reactions are common examples of exothermic reactions.

Endothermic Reactions
          This type of reaction absorbs heat and/or light from their surroundings. In this reaction or
process, the products have more enthalpy compared to the reactants. This results to a positive
enthalpy of reaction ssince the energy required to break the reactants’ bonds is more than the
energy released when new bonds form in the products. This means that this reaction requires
energy to proceed.

          Decomposition reactions are common examples of endothermic reactions.

Hess’s Law
          This law states that the standard reaction enthalpy is the sum of adding of the standard
enthalpies of the intermediate reactions into which the overall reaction can be divided, while
each occurs at the same temperature. It is derived directly from the law of conservation of
energy, and its expression from the first law of thermodynamics. Since enthalpy is a state
function, its change between reactants and products in a chemical system is independent of the
pathway taken from the initial to the final state of the system.

          Hess’s Law can be used to determine the energy required for a chemical reaction,
especially when the reaction involves a series of steps. This is very important because we don’t
want any unexpected explosions when dealing with chemical reactions. A thermochemical
equation is chemical equation where it includes the enthalpy change of the reaction.

          As an example, let us consider the chemical reactions in Figure 8.31 below.

Figure 8.31
          When reactants are converted to products involving exothermic reaction (A), enthalpy is
released into the surroundings, thus the enthalpy change of the reaction is negative. On the other
side, when reactants are converted to products involving endothermic reaction (B), enthalpy is
absorbed from the surroundings and its enthalpy change of the reaction is positive.

          Let us consider the combustion of methane as an example. Since heat is released by the
system, its enthalpy change is negative. Thus, its overall enthalpy of the system decreases. The
enthalpy of change for a chemical reaction is the heat of reaction and are measured in kilojoules.
With our example, the heat of reaction is −890.4 kJ. The thermochemical equation of this
reaction can be written in this way:
CH4(g) + 2O2(g) →→ CO2(g) + 2H2O(l)         ΔH = -890.4 kJ
          In endothermic reactions, the energy is absorbed from the surroundings when the reaction
happens. Referring to Figure 8.31 above in letter B, 177.8 kJ of heat is absorbed when 1 mol of
calcium carbonate decomposes into 1 mol of calcium oxide and 1 mol of carbon dioxide. This
can be written through thermochemical reaction as:
CaCO3(s) + 177.7 kJ →→ CaO(s) + CO2(g)
          The 177.8 kJ is written as a reactant because the heat is absorbed by the system. As you
can observe, the heat of reaction is positive for an endothermic reaction.
CaCO3(s) →→ CaO(s) + CO2(g)         ΔH = 177.8 kJ
          The way in which the reaction is written influences the value of enthalpy change for the
reaction. When the reaction is written in the reverse direction, the sign of the ΔH changes. Let us
take a look again at the reaction of calcium oxide with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate.
 CaO(s) + CO2(g) →→ CaCO3(s) + 177.8 kJ
          The reaction is exothermic so the enthalpy change is negative.

CaO(s) + CO2(g) →→ CaCO3(s)           ΔH = 177.8 kJ