Gibbs free energy, often denoted as \( G \), is a thermodynamic potential that measures the maximum reversible work obtainable from a system at constant temperature and pressure. It is a crucial concept in chemistry and thermodynamics as it helps determine the spontaneity of processes and the equilibrium position of reactions. The Gibbs free energy is defined by the following equation: \[ G = H - TS \] where: - \( G \) is the Gibbs free energy.

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Gibbs free energy by Ciro Santilli 37 Updated +Created
TODO understand more intuitively how that determines if a reaction happens or not.
At least from the formula we see that:
  • the more exothermic, the more likely it is to occur
  • if the entropy increases, the higher the temperature, the more likely it is to occur
    • otherwise, the lower the temperature the more likely it is to occur
A prototypical example of reaction that is exothermic but does not happen at any temperature is combustion.
Video 1.
Lab 7 - Gibbs Free Energy by MJ Billman (2020)
Source. Shows the shift of equilibrium due to temperature change with a color change in a HCl CoCl reaction. Unfortunately there are no conclusions because its student's homework.