Chemical Potential Energy Store
Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
The chemical potential energy store is the energy store associated with chemicals and their ability to react with one another, releasing energy.
About The Chemical Potential Energy Store
- Different mixtures of chemicals have different amounts of energy in their chemical potential store.
- Energy is released from the chemical potential store in an exothermic reaction.
- Energy is added to the chemical potential store in an endothermic reaction.
Examples
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| During combustion of wood energy is released from the chemical potential energy store of the fuel and oxygen. | A mixture of Magnesium and Oxygen have a store of chemical potential energy. | An elecrical cell has a store of chemical potential energy which can be transferred by electricity. |
Key Stage 4
Meaning
The chemical potential energy store is the energy store associated with chemicals and their ability to react with one another, releasing energy.
About Chemical Potential Energy
- Chemical Potential Energy is linked to the potential energy needed to break the chemical bonds in the reactants and the products.
- The chemical potential energy store of an object is related to three important factors in a chemical reaction:
- The mass of substances that will react. The more mass of reaction mixture the greater the chemical potential energy store.
- The strength of the chemical bonds in the reactants.
- The strength of the chemical bonds in the products.
The greater the difference between the strength of bonds in reactants and products the greater the change in chemical potential energy during a chemical reaction.
- There is no single equation for the chemical potential energy store as it depends on the chemicals which are reacting with one another.