Step 3: Determine the amount of energy change in the reaction. a) Use the table of enthalpy values (Table A) provided in the Student Worksheet to locate the enthalpy of formation (∆Hf) for each reactant and each product. Record these values along with the reactants and products in Table B of the Student Worksheet. b) Determine the total enthalpy of the reactants and the total enthalpy of the products. Record these values in Table C of the Student Worksheet. c) Use the following formula to find the net change in enthalpy for the reaction and to determine whether the reaction is endothermic or exothermic.

Explanation:

Assume the reaction is the combustion of propane.

Word equation: propane plus oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water

Chemical eqn:    C₃H₈(g) +   O₂(g) ⟶   CO₂(g) +   H₂O(g)

Balanced eqn:    C₃H₈(g) + 5O₂(g) ⟶ 3CO₂(g) + 4H₂O(g)

(a) Table of enthalpies of formation of reactants and products

(b)Total enthalpies of reactants and products

ΔᵣH° is negative, so the reaction is exothermic.

vanderwaal's forces of attraction are the electrostatic intermolecular forces that exist in a molecule due to the temporary or permanent dipoles that are developed in a molecule. in , the major intermolecular forces are dipole-dipole interactions as the molecule is polar (bent structure). so the vanderwaal's forces of interaction in between molecules are the permanent dipole-dipole interactions that develop due to the dipole that exists in between the polar h - s bond. the positively charged hydrogen atom is attracted towards the negative end of the dipole that is sulfur of the adjacent molecule. therefore, these forces of attraction are relatively stronger than that of london dispersion forces that exist in non polar molecules.