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Chapter 16: Q16.1-5E (page 906)

Many plastic materials are organic polymers that contain carbon and hydrogen. The oxidation of these plastics in air to form carbon dioxide and water is a spontaneous process; however, plastic materials tend to persist in the environment. Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Plastics are kinetically stable and do not decompose rapidly even over long periods of time.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Spontaneous reaction.

  • The term "spontaneous reaction" refers to a reaction that does not involve the application of any external force or energy. Lied to a forward reaction by using non-spontaneous reactions.
02

Determine that plastics are tend to persist in the environment.

  • The rate of oxidation tends to be very slow even when the oxidation of plastics happens spontaneously.
  • In order to go forward, they require external energy. Organic polymers are used to make plastics.
  • Carbon and hydrogen make up their structure. When they come into contact with oxygen in the air, they produce carbon dioxide and water. This is the result of oxidation on plastic.
  • Although it is a spontaneous reaction, the oxidation is gradual and the decomposition takes a long time.
  • Plastic materials, as a result, tend to persist in the environment on our kinetically stable.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

What happens to \({\bf{\Delta G}}_{{\bf{298}}}^{\bf{^\circ }}\) (becomes more negative or more positive) for the following chemical reactions when the partial pressure of oxygen is increased?

(a) \({\bf{S(s) + }}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{2}}}{\bf{(g)}} \to {\bf{S}}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{2}}}{\bf{(g)}}\)

(b) \({\bf{2S}}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{2}}}{\bf{(g) + }}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{2}}}{\bf{(g)}} \to {\bf{S}}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{3}}}{\bf{(g)}}\)

(c) \({\bf{HgO(s)}} \to {\bf{Hg(l) + }}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{2}}}{\bf{(g)}}\)

"Thermite" reactions have been used for welding metal parts such as railway rails and in metal refining. One such thermite reaction is \({\bf{F}}{{\bf{e}}_{\bf{2}}}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{3}}}{\bf{(s) + 2Al(s)}} \to {\bf{A}}{{\bf{l}}_{\bf{2}}}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{3}}}{\bf{(s) + 2Fe(s)}}\). Is the reaction spontaneous at room temperature under standard conditions? During the reaction, the surroundings absorb \({\bf{851}}{\bf{.8\;kJ/mol}}\)of heat.

Popular chemical hand warmers generate heat by the air-oxidation of iron:\({\bf{4Fe(s) + 3}}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{2}}}{\bf{(g)}} \to {\bf{2F}}{{\bf{e}}_{\bf{2}}}{{\bf{O}}_{\bf{3}}}{\bf{(s)}}\).How does the spontaneity of this process depend upon temperature?

Write conversion factors (as ratios) for the number of:

(a) yards in 1 meter

(b) liters in 1 liquid quart

(c) pounds in 1 kilogram

Calculate the free energy change for the same reaction at 875 °C in a 5.00 L mixture containing 0.100 mol of each gas. Is the reaction spontaneous under these conditions?
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