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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2002  > December  >
In the Classroom
Applications and Analogies
Energy as Money, Chemical Bonding as Business, and Negative ΔH and ΔG as Investment
Evguenii I. Kozliak
Department of Chemistry, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9024

Cover
December 2002
Vol. 79 No. 12
p. 1435

Abstract
A simple analogy is suggested illustrating the thermodynamic sign convention and the significance of the negative sign of ΔH and ΔG on spontaneity for general or introductory chemistry students. Enthalpy or energy is associated with money, and atoms or molecules are referred to as people. The suggested metaphor for ΔH is net profit or investment into the surroundings; positive ΔS is viewed as internal investment into the system. Hence, ΔG is similar to gross profit in business; its dependence on temperature is illustrated by the reversal of the market trends for high-tech companies in 2000. The analogy is further expanded to illustrate the significance of ionic lattice enthalpy, the positive sign of atomic ionization energies, and chemical bond enthalpies.
More Information
*  Citation
Kozliak, Evguenii I. J. Chem. Educ. 2002 79 1435.
*  Keywords
General Chemistry; Introductory / High School Chemistry; Nonmajor Courses; Teaching / Learning Aids; Thermodynamics
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
October 29, 2002
March 16, 2005
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2002 > December > Page 1435


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