What does it mean to be thermodynamically unstable but kinetically stable?

Thermodynamically the mixture is highly unstable with a very negative free energy ΔGθ and shouldn’t exist! Therefore the mixture is kinetically stable. A high temperature from a match or spark etc., gives enough of the reactant molecules sufficient kinetic energy to overcome the activation energy on collision*.

What is kinetically stable emulsion?

Emulsions are kinetically stable systems that is to say their free energy of formation is greater than zero, and as such will show a tendency to break.

Why is emulsion thermodynamically unstable?

From a purely thermodynamic point of view, an emulsion is an unstable system because there is a natural tendency for a liquid/liquid system to separate and reduce its interfacial area and, hence, its interfacial energy. Produced oilfield emulsions are classified on the basis of their degree of kinetic stability.

What does it mean to be kinetically stable?

Kinetic stability is the stability of the highest energy state of a system. That means; kinetic stability occurs when there is an optimum reactant percentage in the system. Kinetic stability of a system is thus related to the reactivity of the reactants.

What does thermodynamically unstable mean?

A system is called thermodynamically unstable when there exists a state where the system will have lower energy than it currently has. A dispersion can be thermodynamically unstable, but can still be kinetically stable.

What do you understand by kinetically and thermodynamically stable intermediates?

A simple definition is that the kinetic product is the product that is formed faster, and the thermodynamic product is the product that is more stable.

What is a stable and unstable emulsion?

By definition, an emulsion contains tiny particles of one liquid suspended in another. However, when the agitation is stopped, the two liquids separate and the emulsion breaks down. This is an example of an unstable emulsion. Stable emulsions can be formed from two immiscible liquids when an emulsifier is used.

What is a thermodynamically stable reaction?

A thermodynamically stable reaction is one that basically does not react. As a result, it is independent of the pathway between reactants and products.

What is a kinetically stable product?

Kinetic stability, in the context discussed here, is a measure of how rapidly a protein unfolds. In such a case, the structure will, to all intents and purposes, be trapped in a local minimum, and that locally minimized structure will be the folded state for that protein.

What is thermodynamically stable product?

The thermodynamic product is the most stable product with the lowest energy (the relative stability of the products) The distinction is relevant when product A forms faster than product B because the activation energy for product A is lower than that for product B, yet product B is more stable.

Why is ATP thermodynamically unstable but kinetically stable?

ATP is thermodynamically unstable, it is a high energy molecule, it wants to move from its high energy state to a lower energy state. ATP is kinetically stable in that it will take some kinetic energy (energy of motion) to get this reaction going faster from high energy state to lower energy state.

What is emulsion instability?

There are three types of instability in emulsions: (1) flocculation, (2) creaming, and (3) coalescence. Flocculation occurs when there is an attractive force between the droplets, so they form flocs. Creaming occurs when the droplets rise to the top of the emulsion under the influence of buoyancy.