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Free Enthalpy, Lagrange Multipliers, and Thermal Equilibrium: A Possibly Novel Way to Derive the Law of Mass Action

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Dieter H. Sutter

Institut fur Physikalische Chemie, Christian Albrechts Universitat, D-24098 Kiel, Germany

J. Chem. Educ., 1996, 73 (8), p 718

DOI: 10.1021/ed073p718

Publication Date (Web): August 1, 1996

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

The method of Lagrange multipliers is used to derive the laws of mass action from the minimum condition for the free enthalpy under mass conservation. The method is compared to the traditional derivation by use of reaction parameters. Its advantages in the treatment of more complicated reaction systems are demonstrated using the hydrogen iodine equilibrium at elevated temperatures as an example.