Question
Which of the following pairs of processes is certain to occur in a spontaneous chemical
reaction?
A.
Exothermic and increasing disorder
B.
Exothermic and decreasing disorder
C.
Endothermic and increasing disorder
D.
Endothermic and decreasing disorder
Answer :
Exothermic and increasing disorder
Solution :
Measure of disorder of a system is nothing but entropy. For a spontaneous reaction, $$\Delta G < 0.$$ As per Gibbs Helmholtz equation, $$\Delta G = \Delta H - T\Delta S$$
Thus $$\Delta G$$ is $$ - ve$$ only
when $$\Delta H = - ve$$ (exothermic)
and $$\Delta S = + ve$$ (increasing disorder)