is spontaneous process must be exothermic, i need not
just yes/no answer i need an explanation to it.
also, how do i calculate q (system), using 4.184 J/(G*C) and 1.og/ml
for the specific heat and density of solution and 1.0*10 J/C for the
heat capacity of the calomiter

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Request for Question Clarification by andrewxmp-ga on 25 Nov 2003 17:03 PST

Hi krolik,

I've found plenty of information regarding your first question, and
was about to post it, when I realized that I'm really not sure what
you want to know for the second part of your question.  Can you
clarify the question a bit?  Thank you.

-Andrewxmp

"spontaneous" refers to free energy
"exothermic" refers to enthalpy
these terms are related, but not identical
Most spontaneous processes are exothemeric, but not all are.  An
example of a spontaneous endothermic process is dissolving ammonium
chloride in water.

The "rate" of reaction is another matter.  The reaction of wood or
paper with air is "spontaneous" and "exothermic" but at room
temperature the "rate" of reaction is near zero.