## The melting of snow on a sunny day

$\Delta G^{\circ} = -nFE_{cell}^{\circ}$

Hailey Boehm 2H
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:24 am

### The melting of snow on a sunny day

On test #2 there is a question about the change in Gibbs free energy that would result from the melting of snow on a sunny day. I was able to determine that this process is endothermic, so deltaH is +, and this is a phase change from solid to liquid, so the change in entropy would be +. How can I use this info to determine whether deltaG will be +, -, or 0? thanks!

Clarissa Cabil 1I
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:19 am

### Re: The melting of snow on a sunny day

The melting of snow on a sunny day is actually a spontaneous process (ΔG < 0, negative) because when snow melts, it transforms from a solid to a liquid, which means that the entropy is increasing (ΔS > 0). In real life, snow melts by itself, which is also why ΔG < 0.

Hope this helps!

605168557
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:18 am

### Re: The melting of snow on a sunny day

Was the reasoning of snow/ice melting on a sunny day being spontaneous the same reason for part c of this problem where the cooling of a hot cup of coffee after it was just brewed was also supposed to be ΔG < 0 ? I was confused because I thought the phase change causing an increase in entropy wouldn't apply to this.

Luc Lorain 1L
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:18 am

### Re: The melting of snow on a sunny day

Just to clarify, how are we able to determine that the value of T(delta)S is greater than that of deltaH, resulting in a negative value? I understand that deltaH= Hfusion of water (=+6.01 kJ/mol) and that both T and delta S are positive... Does the fact that it is a sunny day imply that T is very large?

Return to “Work, Gibbs Free Energy, Cell (Redox) Potentials”

### Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests