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Unanswered Questions

516 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
10 votes
1 answer
327 views

Why are IUPAC's definitions of exo- and endothermic disconnected from the direction of heat flow?

I'm wondering if anyone can provide a rationale for IUPAC's definitions of exothermic and endothermic since they disconnect these terms from the direction of heat flow. Specifically, here are IUPAC's ...
7 votes
0 answers
181 views

Why does entropy increase in reactions that make more molecules?

I used to understand this (more molecules ⇒ more degrees of freedom), but do no longer, because the total number of atoms is conserved, so translational d.o.f. should just be turned into internal d.o....
6 votes
0 answers
82 views

Do "pseudo Van der Waals" gases exist?

In college, when deriving the Langmuir isotherm for gas-solid adsorption, the professor proposed a modified version of the Van der Waals state equation, what he called the "pseudo Van der Waals ...
6 votes
0 answers
204 views

Why is the reverse aldol cleavage of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate highly endergonic under standard conditions?

I have another question similar to this one. I just don't have intuition for why reactions are thermodynamically favorable or unfavorable and I'd like to build it. This time I'd like to ask about ...
6 votes
1 answer
195 views

Understanding elementary rate laws from a probability stand point

I am learning about chemical kinetics and dynamics and as I understand for a general chemical reaction $$\ce{aA + bB -> cC + dD} $$ whose reaction rate, r, can be described by an elementary rate ...
6 votes
0 answers
611 views

Thermophysical properties of liquid Galden LS 230 between 25 °C and 230 °C

I'm looking for thermophysical properties of Galden LS 230, a liquid polymer (PFPE) produced by Solvay (https://www.solvay.com/en/markets-and-products/featured-products/Galden.html) at temperatures ...
6 votes
0 answers
206 views

I found transition states (TS), but calculations aren't supported by experiment. Do I look for more TSs or somewhere else?

I'm using Gaussian to investigate a catalyst system. Experimental evidence showed that one of three analogues (R = phenyl, Ph), yielded a benzosultam when treated with 2,4,6-...
6 votes
0 answers
143 views

Seeking titanium compound, melting point <1600 °C, decomposes to TiO

The title says it all. I’m new to glass making, and I need a titanium compound that will render me $\ce{TiO}$ through decomposition, and has a melting point under 1600 °C. Hopefully I can get one ...
6 votes
0 answers
88 views

How can I compute the temperature change from the de-excitation of excited particle species?

The motivation for the question in the title is that I have some formula given, $$\Delta T=\frac{3410\ \gamma_{O_2}}{2.5+\gamma_{O_2}},$$ where $\gamma_{O_2}$ is the molar fraction of oxygen in a ...
5 votes
0 answers
64 views

Dependence of elasticity on temperature and degree of vulcanization of typical commercial rubber band

I am doing a school experiment that tries to find how the elasticity of rubber band depends on temperature. From all the research I have done, theory suggests stress to increase linearly with ...
5 votes
0 answers
431 views

Is the formation of nitrogen dioxide spontaneous?

I was studying Thermodynamics from my Chemistry textbook (page 181-182, section 6.6 (a)). I have a question regarding the following text from my book. Now let us examine the following reactions: $$\...
5 votes
0 answers
108 views

Is a change in delta-delta-G typically notated as delta-delta-delta-G?

I'm currently writing a research paper, and need to refer to a difference between $\Delta{\Delta}G$s. The naive way to notate this would be $\Delta{\Delta}{\Delta}G$, but that looks cumbersome and ...
5 votes
0 answers
73 views

Thermodynamics of micellisation

Micellisation is found to be spontaneous i.e. $\Delta G < 0.$ It's found that $\Delta S > 0,$ which was intuitive since, solvated molecules are released. And, it may be most loosely started that ...
5 votes
0 answers
115 views

Reconciling Flory-Huggins Theory with Le Chatelier's Principle

(I discuss the Flory-Huggins parameter as chi from here onward). So I had learned in class that when discussing polymers the Flory-Huggins Theory helps us figure out whether mixing is ...
5 votes
0 answers
431 views

Compounds that Liberate Hydrogen from Water, Reversibly

I'm working on a paper which provides an overview of all the current methods for storing hydrogen gas as part of a renewable energy system, and I understand compressed gas and metal hydride storage ...

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