Gibbs free energy

The conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) is an extremely important energy source for living organisms. Under common physiological conditions, it can be expressed as:

The “Pharaoh’s Serpent” chemical reaction involves the thermal decomposition of mercury (II) thiocyanate:^1,2

Lightning exhibits some of the most fascinating phenomena on planet Earth.

The chemical reaction between violet-colored thionin and iron (II) ions produces a leucothionin, a colorless compound (Equation 1).^1,2

This is a new activity for chemistry students who struggle with the correlation between changes in enthalpy, temperature, entropy, and the Gibbs free energy of a system; which relies on an analogy that most students will be familiar with.