CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

VIRTUAL LAB #6: GIBBS FREE ENERGY

IMPORTANT: Please note that the lab procedure has been modified to accommodate for a digital
experience.

PURPOSE
Energy changes occur in all chemical reactions or processes – energy is either absorbed or released.
If energy is released in the form of heat, the reaction or process is called exothermic. If energy is
absorbed, the reaction or process is called endothermic. The purpose of this experiment is to
measure energy changes in two different processes.

OBJECTIVES
• Measure enthalpy.
• Predict the sign of enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs Free Energy.
• Predict the spontaneity of a process.
• Study dissolution processes and determine the driving forces behind them.

INTRODUCTION
Coffee Cup Calorimetry
Calorimetry is the method of measuring the amount of heat released or absorbed during a process.
By knowing the change in heat, it can be determined whether or not a process is exothermic
(releases heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat). Therefore, we use calorimetry to tell us how much
heat energy is stored in a system. You are most familiar with it because calorimetry is the
experimental technique that tells you how many calories are in your food. Every package of food
has associated with it a caloric content, like 12 calories per serving. In the real world, internal energy
changes occur in an open system. The earth is an open system, your body is an open system. This
means that the internal energy change is NOT equal to the heat energy as it is in closed system
(bomb calorimetry). Or simply, in an open system where the pressure doesn't change (the
atmospheric pressure) but the volume does, the heat change in the system is a change in enthalpy,
ΔH.
Coffee cup calorimetry is at constant pressure, so to calculate heat change:

∆𝐻 = 𝑞! = 𝑚𝐶∆𝑇

Entropy
Reactions or processes in nature are driven by two forces, which in combination determine whether
or not the reaction or process will be spontaneous. Recall, reactions or processes that are
exothermic (give off heat) are generally favored by nature. However, some endothermic reactions

CH 104M | 1
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

or processes, such as the melting of ice, are spontaneous and thus favored by nature. The second
driving force that also determines whether or not a reaction or process will occur is entropy.

Entropy can be defined as a measure of the degree of randomness of the particles, such as
molecules, in a system. Nature favors an increase in entropy. In other words, reactions or processes
that increase the disorder of the system tend to be spontaneous. The amount of entropy of a system
is best understood by considering the three principle states of matter. In a solid, the particles vibrate
in place and are not free to switch places with each other. As such, solids are considered to have
very low entropy because very little randomness exists in them. Liquids, in general, are more
disorderly than solids, and thus have higher entropy. Gases, the most disorderly of the three states,
possess the highest entropy. These are general guidelines as some liquids (mercury, for instance)
have lower entropy than certain solids. In general, the dissolution process increases the entropy of
a system.

Gibbs Free Energy

Reactions or processes in nature tend toward decreasing enthalpy and increasing entropy. A
reaction or process that is exothermic and increases entropy will always be spontaneous. An
endothermic reaction or process which also decreases the randomness of the system will never be
spontaneous. Consider reactions or processes that decrease enthalpy but decrease entropy, or
increase entropy but increase enthalpy? Will these reactions or processes be spontaneous? That
depends on the temperature. To predict this, we must look at Gibbs Free Energy. Mathematically,
Gibbs free energy relates the enthalpy and entropy changes of a reaction or process:

Δ𝐺° = ∆𝐻° − 𝑇∆𝑆°

If the Gibbs Free Energy of a reaction or process is negative, then the reaction or process will be
spontaneous, if positive, then the reaction or process will not be spontaneous.

Table 1: Signs and spontaneity of thermodynamic values with temperature dependence.

ΔH ΔS ΔG Reaction Characteristics Example
+ at low temperatures; Nonspontaneous at low temperatures;
+ + 𝐻! 𝑂(𝑠) → 𝐻! 𝑂(𝑙)
- at high temperatures Spontaneous at high temperatures
Nonspontaneous at all temperatures,
+ - Always + 3𝑂! (𝑔) → 2𝑂" (𝑔)
Reverse reaction is spontaneous

- + Always - Spontaneous at all temperatures 2𝑂" (𝑔) → 3𝑂! (𝑔)

- at low temperatures; Spontaneous at low temperatures;

- - 𝐻! 𝑂(𝑙) → 𝐻! 𝑂(𝑠)
+ at high temperatures Nonspontaneous at high temperatures

CH 104M | 2
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

In this experiment the system is the solid crystalline compound that will be dissolving. The
temperature changes during the process will be measured from the surroundings, in this case that
will be the water. If the temperature of the water increases, this means the system released heat (-
q) to the water, so, the process is exothermic. If the temperature of the water decreases, this means
the system absorbed heat (+q) from the water, so, the process is endothermic.

Thermodynamic Data Table1

Table 2: Thermodynamic data of selected species

Chemical Species DHf° (kJ/mol) DS° (J/mol K) DGf° (kJ/mol)
+
K (aq) -251 103 -282
K2SO4 (s) -1437.71 175.6 -1321.4
Na+ (aq) -240 59 -262
NaOH (s) -425.6 64.45 -379.5
NH4+ (aq) -132 113 -79
NH4NO3 (s) -365.6 151 -183.9
NO3 (aq)
─
-207 143 -111
OH (aq)
─
-230 -11 -157
2─
SO4 (aq) -909 20 -745

PRE-LAB
1) Visit Pre-Lab Module 6: Gibbs Free Energy in Canvas to watch videos and read more about
this lab. Answer the questions in the module to complete pre-lab.

EXPERIMENTAL

Safety
**Safety goggles, lab coats/aprons, and gloves must be worn AT ALL TIMES
during the experiment**
1) Ammonium nitrate is a strong oxidizer and may explode under confinement. It is slightly
toxic with ingestion, LD50 = 217 mg/kg, and may be a body tissue irritant.
2) Sodium hydroxide, both as a solid and in solution, is corrosive and may cause skin burns.
Heat is evolved when sodium hydroxide is added to water. It is very dangerous to the eyes.
3) Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before leaving the laboratory.

1
Data compiled from https://www.chem.wisc.edu/ and http://www.wiredchemist.com/

CH 104M | 3
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

Activity Procedure
For this activity, complete the interactive module and answer any corresponding questions. Record
data and observations in the Lab Conclusion Handout: Gibbs Free Energy¨ or on a separate sheet
of paper. You will use a ChemCollective simulation to replicate the in-person lab experience.
o Part A will use the link below: http://chemcollective.org/activities/autograded/117
o Part B will use the following link: http://chemcollective.org/vlab/138

Part A: Dissolution of Ammonium Nitrate

1. Access the ChemCollective Hot/Cold Pack Problem simulation at
http://chemcollective.org/activities/autograded/117 .
2. To create the calorimeter, click Stockroom à Glassware à Other and select the Foam Cup.
Right click the foam cup on the workbench. Under Thermal Properties, make sure “insulated
from surroundings” is checked. This assures that the foam cup will not absorb any outside
heat. Note: if you were completing this lab in person, you would place the foam cup in a second
cup to insulate it from its surroundings.
3. Next, choose Stockroom à Solutions, and select distilled H2O to add it to the workbench.
Click and drag the distilled H2O over the foam cup. When the green plus sign appears, release
it.
4. Under the Precise tab, enter 60 mL of water and select Pour. Record the initial temperature,
which is listed in the Information table on the left side of the simulation, in Table 3 below.
5. Using the same steps you used for distilled H2O, select ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) to add
it to the workbench, and then add 10.00 g of the NH4NO3 to the foam cup. Record the final
temperature of the foam cup in Table 1. The temperature in the simulation assumes that the
reaction has already stabilized, and the temperature has become constant.
Note: If you were completing the lab in person, you would use a temperature probe to collect data
and plot a graph of the changing temperature over time until it stabilized.

Table 3: Data table for the chemical process between NH4NO3 and H2O

Mass of NH4NO3 (g)

Volume of H2O (mL)
Ti of H2O (°C)
Tf of mixture (°C)
ΔT (°C)
Specific Heat (J/g°C) 4.184

6. Calculate the change in temperature, ΔT.

CH 104M | 4
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

Part B: Dissolution of Sodium Hydroxide

The procedure will be similar to Part A, except with the dissolution of sodium hydroxide in place of
ammonium nitrate.
7. Access the ChemCollective Heats of Reaction simulation at
http://chemcollective.org/vlab/138 .
8. Again, add a foam cup to the workbench, assuring again that the cup is insulated from its
surroundings.
9. Next, add the distilled water to the workbench and pour 60 mL into the foam cup. Record
the initial temperature in Table 4.
10. Choose Stockroom à Solids and select sodium hydroxide (NaOH) . Add 10 g to the foam cup
calorimeter. Record the final temperature in Table 4.

Table 4: Data table for the chemical process between NaOH and H2O

Mass of NaOH (g)

Volume of H2O (mL)
Ti of H2O (°C)
Tf of mixture (°C)
ΔT (°C)
Specific Heat (J/g°C) 4.184

11. Calculate ΔT for Part B.

TO THINK ABOUT
1. The dissolution of a solid in water takes place over a period of time, although the simulation
assumes the dissolution happens instantly. In real life, what would you expect the shape of
the graph to be for the change in temperature as the solid dissolves? If the solid did not
completely dissolve how would this affect the shape of the graph?
2. What does the sign of the change in enthalpy, ∆𝐻, of a reaction usually indicate about the
bonds and structure of the products compared to the reactants?
3. What does the sign of the change in entropy, ∆𝑆, of a reaction usually indicate about the
bonds and structure of the products compared to the reactants?
4. Changes in entropy indicate the increased or decreased randomness of a system. What
relationship to entropy and the surroundings of our system can we draw with enthalpy using
our knowledge of Gibbs Free Energy?

Δ𝐺° = ∆𝐻° − 𝑇∆𝑆°

CH 104M | 5
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

5. Chemists usually use Gibbs Free Energy to predict spontaneity, which assumes constant
pressure. Why would constant pressure be useful to chemists, specifically for their
predictions?

DATA ANALYSIS
1) Visit Post-Lab Module 6: Gibbs Free Energy in Canvas to watch the video and answer the
questions in the module to complete post-lab. Write the thermochemical equation for the
dissolution.
2) Complete calculations, take notes, and answer the CER question on Lab Conclusion Handout:
Gibbs Free Energy¨ to prepare for Lab Conclusion 6: Gibbs Free Energy.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Complete Lab Conclusion 6: Gibbs Free Energy in Canvas in class. This is an individual activity.
No notes or other resources are permitted, except for Lab Conclusion Handout and OnRamps
Formula Chart.

CH 104M | 6
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

Lab Conclusion Handout: Gibbs Free Energy¨

Data Tables:
Table 1: Temperature changes for the chemical Table 2: Data table for the chemical
process between NH4NO3 and H2O process between NH4NO3 and H2O
*optional for the virtual laboratory experience
NH4NO3(s) →NH4+ (aq)+ NO3- (aq)
Time (sec) Temp. (°C) Time (sec) Temp. Mass of NH4NO3 (g)
(°C)
0 160 Volume of H2O (mL)
20 180 Ti of H2O (°C)
40 200 Tf of mixture (°C)
60 220 DT (°C)
80 240 Specific Heat (J/g°C) 4.184
100 260
120 280
140 300

Table 3: Temperature changes for the chemical Table 4: Data table for the chemical
process between NaOH and H2O process between NaOH and H2O
*optional for the virtual laboratory experience
NaOH(s) →Na+ (aq)+ OH- (aq)
Time (sec) Temp. (°C) Time (sec) Temp. Mass of NaOH (g)
(°C)
0 160 Volume of H2O (mL)
20 180 Ti of H2O (°C)
40 200 Tf of mixture (°C)
60 220 DT (°C)
80 240 Specific Heat (J/g°C) 4.184
100 260
120 280
140 300

Observations:

CH 104M | 7
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

Box A: Calculate the enthalpy produced in the dissolution of ammonium nitrate and determine if the process is
exothermic or endothermic.
DH = qp = mCDT

Box B: Calculate the moles of ammonium nitrate that were used in this process and use this to calculate heat
produced per mole of ammonium nitrate. Write the correct thermochemical equation.

Box C: The accepted value of DH = 25.7kJ/mol for the Box D: Consider the process in this experiment, do you
dissolution of ammonium nitrate. Calculate percent think entropy will be positive or negative?
error.

experimental − accepted
Percent Error = 5 5 x 100
accepted

Box E: Considering the enthalpy you calculated and the

sign of entropy, what is the sign of Gibbs free energy?
(See Table 1 for help.)

Reflection:
Consider your analysis. Does it make sense with the data and observations you made? If so, how? If not,
why not?

CH 104M | 8
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

Use the space below to take notes on concepts you need to be familiar with Lab Conclusion 6:
Gibbs Free Energy. Include examples, definitions and any information related to the concepts:
1. Calorimetry equation

2. Gibbs Free Energy equation

3. Entropy and microstates

4. Signs of enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs Free Energy

5. Temperature dependence of reaction spontaneity

6. Coffee cup calorimeters vs Bomb calorimeters

7. Sources of error and percent error

CH 104M | 9
 CH 104M

NAME: ______________________________________________

Directions: Consider the guiding question below. Write your combined Claim, Evidence,
and Reasoning using the question prompts on the right-hand side to guide you with your
responses. Remember, this handout can be used as a resource when you complete your
Lab Conclusion Assessment in Canvas.

Guiding Question: Instant cold packs are often used for injuries. Describe the
relationship between the sign for enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs Free Energy of the
reaction taking place inside an instant cold pack.

Your Claim is your answer Your Evidence is used to Your Reasoning explains the
to the guiding question. develop your Reasoning. logic behind your Claim.

Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning

What are the signs for enthalpy,

entropy, and Gibbs in an instant cold
pack?
What specific qualitative observations
or quantitative data from lab supports
your claim?
What changes in the system occurred
in the experiment? How do you know
based on your observations?
Which observations or calculations
from lab support your claim and
demonstrate that a reaction occurred?
How do you explain the signs of
entropy and enthalpy based on the
changes inside the pack?
What role do enthalpy, entropy, and
temperature play in determining
Gibbs Free Energy?
Consider the specific lab evidence you
described above. State how at least
one of these supports your claim.

CH 104M Lab 6: Gibbs Free Energy Determination | 10