Calculating Number of Components |Gibbs Phase Rule | B.Sc, M.Sc and B.tech | Solved Examples

In this video I have explained how to calculate number of components in Gibbs Phase Rule. The phase rule was coined by J.W. Gibbs in 1876, while he was investigating the heterogeneous equilibria. The phase rule is an important tool used for the quantitative treatment of systems in equilibrium. It enables us to predict the conditions that must be specified for a system to exhibit equilibrium.
Component: The number of component of a system at equilibrium is defined as the smallest number of independently variable constituents by means of which the composition of each phase can be expressed either directly or in terms of chemical equations.
1) Chemically non-reactive system like water, sulfur, CO2 and mixture of gases 2) Chemically reactive system
C = N – m – n – R
N = number of chemical species
m = number of independent equilibrium conditions
n = number of relations between concentrations due to initial conditions
R = number of independent chemical relations
C = N – E
E = number of independent equations relating the concentrations of the N specie or E = number of restrictions imposed on the independent variation of these constituents
Each independent chemical equilibrium involving the constituent, = 1 equation. If ions are involved in the reaction = 1 equation (to maintain the condition of electrical neutrality)
Examples explained in this video-
Number of components of1-Aqueous Solution of NaCl, 2- Saturated solution of NaCl, 3- Decomposition of NH4Cl (s) in closed vessel, 4- Decomposition of NH4Cl (s) in open vessel, 5- Decomposition of CaCO3,
Above examples discussed by various methods, I hope it will help you to understand this topic.
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