## Stable vs Unstable

$\Delta G^{\circ}= \Delta H^{\circ} - T \Delta S^{\circ}$

$\Delta G^{\circ}= -RT\ln K$

$\Delta G^{\circ}= \sum \Delta G_{f}^{\circ}(products) - \sum \Delta G_{f}^{\circ}(reactants)$

Tinisha 1G
Posts: 69
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:17 am

### Stable vs Unstable

Can someone explain the concept of stable and unstable in terms of the Gibbs free energy? Why does a negative free energy mean that its stable?

Celio_G_Dis2C
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2019 12:16 am

### Re: Stable vs Unstable

I think stability is based on the use of energy. The universe favors disorder as we've learned from entropy therefore the larger the entropy the more negative our Gibbs free energy gets. That's why if our Gibbs free energy is negative it's stable because its spontaneous meaning that the universe prefers it that way because no energy has to be inputed into it

Celine Cheng 1H
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:21 am
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: Stable vs Unstable

One way you could interpret/imagine it is like Gibbs free energy represents the 'energy' of a system. The less energy, the more stable. So, if the change in Gibbs free energy (delta G) is negative, the system is losing energy and therefore becoming more stable (and the surroundings/universe gains that energy and is becoming more unstable ((universe tends towards disorder)) )