How does the free energy of a system relate to the system's stability, tendency for spontaneous change, equilibrium, and capacity to do work??
plz help :(
plz help :(
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Free energy is the energy required in a close system to be spontaneous ( an example would be a chemical reaction). Free energy (Gibbs) is a minimum, and therefore systems with low delta G are more spontaneous ie. they require less energy to drive a reaction or physical process forward. Systems with a negative GFE will be spontaneous, the more negative the more spontaneous and rapid the process will be. A high GFE would indicate that the system is stable and unlikely to change without external influence. Since this is the biology section, I have to assume this is in reference to enzymes. In speaking to that, enzymes perform their function by lowering the GFE of a system and thus making a chemical reaction more spontaneous and rapid. They achieve this simply by bringing the two molecules within close proximity of each other or by rearranging molecular structures by temporarily altering their own. This is how enzymes catalyze chemical reactions without any permanent change to their own structure.