Surface Chemistry

Question
CBSEENCH12006423

Is adsorption exothermic or endothermic?

Solution

Answer:
Adsorption is always exothermic. This statement can be explained in two ways.

(i)Adsorption leads to a decrease in the residual forces on the surface of the adsorbent. This causes a decrease in the surface energy of the adsorbent. Therefore, adsorption is always exothermic.


(ii)ΔH of adsorption is always negative. When a gas is adsorbed on a solid surface, its movement is restricted leading to a decrease in the entropy of the gas i.e., ΔS is negative. Now for a process to be spontaneous, ΔG should be negative.

ΔG= ΔH-TΔS
Since ΔSis negative, ΔH has to be negative to make ΔG negative. Hence, adsorption is always exothermic.

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