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Ryan Collison

I write about cool science and share it here.

Chemical Equilibrium: Where ΔG Equals Zero

Chemical Equilibrium: Where ΔG Equals Zero

Chemical Equilibrium: Where ΔG Equals Zero Every reaction has a destination. Not where all reactants become products, and not where nothing happens. The destination is equilibrium—the point where forward and reverse reactions balance perfectly. At equilibrium, ΔG = 0. The system has found its free energy minimum. No driving force

Temperature's Hidden Power: The Gibbs-Helmholtz Equation

Temperature's Hidden Power: The Gibbs-Helmholtz Equation

Temperature's Hidden Power: The Gibbs-Helmholtz Equation Temperature appears in ΔG = ΔH - TΔS as a simple multiplier. But its influence is deeper than that. The Gibbs-Helmholtz equation reveals how temperature changes shift the free energy landscape. It shows why reactions that are non-spontaneous at one temperature

A neon marble rolls on its own down a glowing spiral track through space, leaving sparks of energy behind it

Spontaneous Reactions: When ΔG Goes Negative

Correct one word and a whole topic clicks: in thermodynamics, spontaneity is about direction, not speed.

What Is Delta G? The Sign That Decides Everything

What Is Delta G? The Sign That Decides Everything

What Is Delta G? The Sign That Decides Everything In chemistry, most numbers are just numbers. Concentrations. Temperatures. Rate constants. They describe the system but don't tell you what happens next. Delta G is different. The sign of ΔG decides what happens. Negative: reaction proceeds. Positive: reaction doesn&

The Gibbs Free Energy Formula: ΔG = ΔH - TΔS

The Gibbs Free Energy Formula: ΔG = ΔH - TΔS

The Gibbs Free Energy Formula: ΔG = ΔH - TΔS Three letters, one equation, the universe's decision rule. ΔG = ΔH - TΔS Every chemist knows this formula. Most memorize it for exams and forget the meaning. But this equation encodes the competition between energy and entropy, with temperature as referee. Understanding

A neon cosmic flower unfolds on its own and releases ribbons of energy, a picture of free energy

Gibbs Free Energy: The Universe's Decision Function

Every reaction is a contest between two drives: release energy, or spread out. Gibbs free energy is the referee, and temperature holds the whistle.

The Gibbs Free Energy Equation

The Gibbs Free Energy Equation

The Gibbs Free Energy Equation The Universe's Decision Function Here's something that should stop you in your tracks: the universe has an optimization criterion. It's not conscious. It doesn't deliberate. But every chemical reaction, every phase transition, every biological process happening in