Question

Question 1. For each of the following processes, identify the system and the surroundings. Identify those processes that are spontaneous. For each spontaneous process, identify the constraint that has been removed to enable the process to occur:

(a) Ammonium nitrate dissolves in water.

(b) Hydrogen and oxygen explode in a closed bomb.

(c) A rubber band is rapidly extended by hanging weight.

(d) The gas in a chamber is slowly compressed by a weighted piston.

(e) A glass shatters on the floor.

Short answer

1. Ammonium nitrate dissolves in water spontaneously.
2. As the bomb is closed, everything inside the closed bomb other than oxygen and hydrogen constitutes the surroundings. The reaction is spontaneous.
3. Everything other than the rubber band including the hanging weight is the surrounding. The extension of the rubber band is spontaneous.
4. The gas is the system and the compression is spontaneous.
5. The glass is the system.

Step-by-step solution

Given information

(a) Ammonium nitrate dissolves in water.

(b) A closed bomb detonates by igniting hydrogen and oxygen.

(c) A rubber band is rapidly extended by hanging weight.

(d) A piston with weight steadily compresses the gas inside a chamber.

(e) A glass shatters on the floor.

Concept of system and surrounding

The molecules that are reacting make up the system. The rest of the universe and everything else is the surroundings.

Find spontaneity of ammonium nitrate

a)

Dissolution of ammonium nitrate is written as $N{H}_{4}N{O}_3\left(s\right)->N{H}_4^{+}\left(aq\right)+N{O}_3^{-}\left(aq\right)$.

The surroundings are instruments in which the reaction occurs. So, the dissolution process will be spontaneous when the solid ammonium nitrate is dropped into the water.

Find the spontaneity of Hydrogen and oxygen exploding in a closed bomb

b)

Hydrogen and oxygen constitute the system. As the bomb is closed, everything inside the closed bomb other than oxygen and hydrogen constitutes the surroundings and the reaction is spontaneous.

Find spontaneity of rapid extension of a rubber band by hanging weight:

(c)

The rubber band is the system. Everything other than the rubber band including the hanging weight is the surrounding. The extension of the rubber band is spontaneous given any external support to the weight has been removed.

Find spontaneity of slow compression of gas in a chamber by the weighed piston

d)

The gas is the system. The chamber and weighted piston are the environments. When the external pressure exceeds the internal pressure of the gas, the compression is spontaneous.

Find spontaneity in Shattering glass on the floor

(e)

The glass is the system. Everything around the glass like the floor, air, etc, is the environment. The glass shatters when the air between the glass and floor is removed.