Thermodynamically Controlled Reaction

Definition

This is a type of chemical reaction where the products are determined by which ones have the lowest energy and are therefore most stable.

Analogy

Imagine you're baking cookies. The recipe with ingredients that combine to give you the tastiest (lowest energy/most stable) cookies would be your thermodynamically controlled recipe!

Related terms

Equilibrium Constant (K): The ratio of concentrations at equilibrium for products over reactants raised to their stoichiometric coefficients. It indicates whether reactants or products are favored in a thermodynamically controlled reaction.

Endothermic Reaction: A type of chemical reaction where heat is absorbed from surroundings. These reactions may not be thermodynamically favorable unless they lead to very stable products.

Activation Energy: The minimum amount of energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.