Examples of non-equilibrium problems

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🌡️ Non-equilibrium refers to systems not in thermodynamic equilibrium, meaning temperature, pressure, and chemical potential aren't uniform.
• ➡️ Heat transfer, diffusion, and chemical reactions are common scenarios.
• ⏱️ Time dependence is a key characteristic. The system is changing!
• 📈 Entropy is generally increasing in these processes, driving the system towards equilibrium.
• ⚛️ Described mathematically by rate equations and transport equations.

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following is a characteristic of non-equilibrium systems?
   1. A) Uniform temperature throughout the system.
   2. B) Constant pressure at all points.
   3. C) Time-dependent properties.
   4. D) Zero entropy production.
2. What drives a system towards equilibrium?
   1. A) Decreasing entropy.
   2. B) Increasing energy.
   3. C) Maximizing potential energy.
   4. D) Increasing entropy.
3. Which of the following is an example of a non-equilibrium process?
   1. A) A block of ice melting in a warm room.
   2. B) Water at its triple point.
   3. C) A perfectly insulated container of gas.
   4. D) A system in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings.
4. What mathematical tools are used to describe non-equilibrium systems?
   1. A) Static equations only.
   2. B) Equilibrium constants.
   3. C) Rate equations and transport equations.
   4. D) Thermodynamic potentials.
5. Consider a hot cup of coffee cooling down in a room. What is the primary mechanism driving this non-equilibrium process?
   1. A) Pressure equalization.
   2. B) Chemical reaction.
   3. C) Heat transfer.
   4. D) Quantum entanglement.
6. In a chemical reaction that is not at equilibrium, which statement is true?
   1. A) The forward and reverse reaction rates are equal.
   2. B) The concentrations of reactants and products are constant.
   3. C) The forward and reverse reaction rates are not equal.
   4. D) The system has reached minimum Gibbs free energy.
7. What happens to the overall entropy of a closed system undergoing a non-equilibrium process?
   1. A) It remains constant.
   2. B) It decreases.
   3. C) It increases.
   4. D) It fluctuates randomly.