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Chapter 10: Energy and Equilibrium - Fundamental Principles

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    416158
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    Earlier in this text we discussed the tendency of physical and chemical systems to change in the direction of minimizing their potential energy. Water spontaneously flowing downhill and gasoline burning are two examples. We return to this idea in this chapter and refine it a bit, adding some nuance to language and conceptual underpinnings. This is necessary because there are many chemical systems, including a host of critically important biochemical examples, where the concept of "energy" is too vague to be useful, requiring more precise definitions additional considerations. 

    We'll begin with some simple physical systems, that is, those that involve objects or molecules that are not undergoing any changes in structure or bonding (like water flowing downhill) 

     

    On several occasions prior to this point, we mentioned that many chemical reactions do not proceed to completion. It is difficult to overstate just how important this fact is in understanding how a huge variety of important chemical and biochemical processes operate. 

     

    1. Physical examples of equilibrium (water levels, gas pressures, balancing objects) and general principles.


    Chapter 10: Energy and Equilibrium - Fundamental Principles is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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