A pile of firewood is more stable as ash and smoke than firewood. Why does this pile of firewood not immediately release the energy in its chemical bonds? (Use the word activation energy in your answer)
Could anybody help with this? I dont understand and not sure how to write this, and i need a kick in the right direction since I'm kind of confused .
If you do bond energies or free energy calculations (delta G) you know that some rreactons are sontaneous and some are not. Burning firewood is a spontaneous reaction BUT it sits there and looks at you and does NOT burst into flame instantly. Likewise, diamonds (expensive) changing over to graphite (graphite is cheap as dirt) is spontaneous. So why does firwood NOT burst into flame and why do diamonds hang around for years while maintaining their beauty and expensive nature. The answer is activation energy. The molecules in firewood don't have enough energy to START the reaction (the burning) but once started the heat produced keeps the cycle going and the reaction continues. The same reasoning applies to the diamond. There are a number of sites on the web that may explain this better than I. You can Google something like "examples of activation energy" or "calculations showing activation energy" or "activation energy discussion". I have found the url libre text very good at explaining things so you may want to try that also. Good luck. Hope this helps. I know it's long but you can distill it down so it make sense to you. If it doesn't please repost and be specific about what's giving you trouble about it.
Thank you Dr bob, this actually really helped a lot! After your explanation I was able to do some more research and write the question, so much is appreciated ! I guess the way the question was formated had confused me, but after hearing someone explain it it helps a lot. Thanks again!
Certainly! I'd be happy to help clarify this for you.
In order for a chemical reaction to occur, such as the combustion of firewood, it requires a certain amount of energy to get started. This initial energy is called the activation energy. Once the activation energy is provided, the reaction proceeds, releasing energy in the form of heat and light.
Now, when firewood is in the form of a pile, it does not immediately release the energy in its chemical bonds and burn because the activation energy is not spontaneously available. The energy required to start the combustion reaction is typically provided through the application of heat or a flame.
The reason for this is that the firewood contains energy locked within its chemical bonds, but in its current form, it lacks the necessary conditions to initiate the combustion process. The activation energy acts as a barrier that needs to be overcome for the reaction to begin. Once the firewood is exposed to sufficient heat or a flame, the activation energy is supplied, initiating the combustion reaction, and the firewood starts to release energy.
In other words, the firewood needs an external source of heat or a flame to provide the activation energy required to initiate the chemical reaction and release the stored energy within the firewood's bonds in the form of heat and light.
I hope this explanation has helped! Let me know if you have any further questions.
Sure! I'd be happy to help you understand the concept and provide some guidance on how to explain it.
When a pile of firewood is ignited, it undergoes a chemical reaction called combustion. During combustion, the energy stored in the chemical bonds of the firewood is released in the form of heat, light, and other byproducts such as ash and smoke.
However, for the combustion to occur, the firewood needs to overcome a barrier called the activation energy. Activation energy is the minimum energy required to initiate a chemical reaction. In the case of combustion, the firewood needs an initial heat source, such as a match or a spark, to provide the necessary activation energy.
The activation energy acts as a sort of "hurdle" that the firewood must overcome before it can release energy from its chemical bonds and sustain the combustion process. Without this initial energy input, the firewood will not spontaneously start burning.
Once the firewood is ignited and the activation energy is provided, the combustion reaction starts and produces enough energy to sustain the process. As the firewood burns, heat is produced, which further provides the activation energy to keep the combustion going.
Now, returning to your original question, a pile of firewood, in its current state, is not releasing the energy in its chemical bonds because it lacks the necessary activation energy to initiate the combustion process. Without an external heat source or ignition, the firewood will remain stable and not spontaneously ignite.
To summarize:
1. Combustion requires an initial activation energy to start the reaction.
2. The firewood pile needs an external heat source or ignition to provide the activation energy.
3. Once ignited, the firewood releases the energy stored in its chemical bonds through combustion.
I hope this explanation helps clarify the concept! Let me know if you have any further questions or if there's anything else I can assist you with.