Chapter 5: Free energy and enthalpy - Criteria for the evolution of a system
Section outline
-
In thermodynamics, the criteria for system evolution provide fundamental tools to predict:
Whether a process can occur spontaneously (without external intervention).
The direction and extent of a physical or chemical change.
Equilibrium conditions (where the system stops evolving).
These criteria are rooted in free energy (G) and enthalpy (H), bridging the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics.