Gibbs Free Energy A Measure of Stability

[Bashyboy]

Hello everyone,

I am having a little difficulty understand precisely what Gibbs free energy is. I have read in my textbook that a negative change in Gibbs free energy implies that the substance under consideration will react/change spontaneously. As such, the more negative the Gibbs free energy is, the more spontaneously the reaction/occurs. However, at another point in the book, the author states that the smaller the Gibbs free energy is, the more stable it is. This two ideas seem to be conflicting...

 

[Andrew Mason]

Hello everyone,

I am having a little difficulty understand precisely what Gibbs free energy is. I have read in my textbook that a negative change in Gibbs free energy implies that the substance under consideration will react/change spontaneously. As such, the more negative the Gibbs free energy is, the more spontaneously the reaction/occurs. However, at another point in the book, the author states that the smaller the Gibbs free energy is, the more stable it is. This two ideas seem to be conflicting...

If the Gibbs free energy is positive, the reaction will not proceed spontaneously. If it is negative, it is capable of proceeding spontaneously. The actual likelihood that it will proceed spontaneously increases as the Gibbs free energy gets more negative ie. as the magnitude of the negative Gibbs free energy increases.

AM