Surroundings

Definition

Surroundings in thermochemistry refers to everything outside the system being studied. It includes all external factors that can exchange energy with the system.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. In calorimetry, the surroundings typically include the water, container, and air around the reaction vessel.
2. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy lost by the system is gained by the surroundings and vice versa.
3. Heat flow between a system and its surroundings is a key concept in determining enthalpy changes.
4. The temperature change of the surroundings helps calculate the heat exchanged in a chemical reaction.
5. Insulated systems are designed to minimize energy exchange with their surroundings.

Review Questions

• What constitutes the surroundings in a calorimetry experiment?
• How does energy transfer occur between a system and its surroundings according to the first law of thermodynamics?
• Why is it important to consider the temperature change of the surroundings when calculating heat exchange?

Related terms

System: The part of the universe being studied, usually isolated for analysis in thermochemistry experiments.

Calorimeter: An apparatus used to measure the amount of heat involved in a chemical or physical process.

Enthalpy: \(H\), a measure of total energy in a thermodynamic system, including internal energy and pressure-volume work.