Hess's Law and Energy Calculations
Ever wonder how scientists figure out the energy changes for reactions they can't measure directly? That's where Hess's Law comes in handy! This principle states that the overall enthalpy change of a reaction remains the same whether it occurs in one step or multiple steps.
For example, to find the enthalpy change when graphite transforms into diamond, we can break it down into two steps. First, graphite reacts with oxygen ΔH1=−394kJ/mol,exothermic. Then, diamond is formed from carbon dioxide ΔH2=+396kJ/mol,endothermic. Adding these together ΔH1+ΔH2=−394+396=2kJ/mol gives us the energy change for the direct transformation.
When working with reactions, remember these key rules: If you reverse a reaction, the enthalpy value keeps the same magnitude but changes sign. If a reaction shows CO₂(g) → C(diamond) + O₂(g) with ΔH = +396 kJ/mol, then the reverse reaction C(diamond) + O₂(g) → CO₂(g) has ΔH = -396 kJ/mol.
💡 Think of enthalpy like climbing a hill - going up requires energy (endothermic), coming down releases energy (exothermic), but the height of the hill stays the same either way!
When you multiply or divide a chemical reaction by a factor, you must do the same to its enthalpy value. Doubling a reaction doubles the enthalpy change; halving a reaction halves the enthalpy change. For instance, if C(diamond) + O₂(g) → CO₂(g) has ΔH = -394 kJ/mol, then 2C(diamond) + 2O₂(g) → 2CO₂(g) has ΔH = 2(-394) = -788 kJ/mol.