IGNOU BCHCT 133 2026 - What is the chemical potential? Explain it with its significance

Question

What is the chemical potential? Explain it with its significance.

19 Jan 2026

Answer :

Word Count : 409

Chemical potential is a fundamental thermodynamic quantity that represents the change in the total free energy of a system when the number of particles of a given species is increased by one, while keeping temperature, pressure, and the amounts of other components constant. In simple terms, it indicates the “escaping tendency” of a substance from a phase or system and determines how matter and energy are distributed at equilibrium. It is usually denoted by the symbol μ and is measured in units of energy per mole. From a thermodynamic viewpoint, chemical potential links composition with energy. For a single-component system, it is equal to the molar Gibbs free energy. In multicomponent systems, each component has its own chemical potential, reflecting how that particular substance contributes to the overall free energy. When a system undergoes a chemical reaction, phase change, or diffusion process, the direction and extent of these changes are governed by differences in chemical potential. Matter always tends to move from a region

____ ____ ___ ________ _________ ____.
_______ _________ _____ ____ ________.
______ _____ ______ ___ ________ ___ ________.
_____ _________ ________ ______ ________ __________.
______ _________ ___ _______ __________ ___ _______.
___ _______ _______ __________ __________ ______ _________ ______ ______.
_____ ______ _________ ____ ______ ______ _______.
______ ________ _________ __________ _____ ___ __________.
________ ___ ________ ________ ___.
____ _______ ____ _____ ___.
________ _________ ___ _______ _________ _____ ____ ___.
________ ______ ______ ________ ___ ______ ____ ______ __________ ______ ________ _______.
__________ _________ ______ ________ ________ _______ ___ ________ _________ ______ __________.
_________ _________ __________ _____ _________ _______ ______ ________ _________ ____ _____.
________ ______ _________ __________ ___ __________ ________ ___ ________ __________ ____.
_________ ____ _______ __________ _______ ____ ________ ____ ______ _________ ______.
____ _________ ______ _________ _________ _______ ______ ______.
_______ __________ _________ ______ _________ ___ ______.
_________ _______ __________ ____ _________ _________ ________ _______ ___ _______ ___.
_______ ________ _____ _______ _____ ______ ________ _____.
_______ __________ _____ ______ ___ ______ _________ ___ ____ _________ ______ __________.
_________ ______ _____ ________ ______ ________ ____ _________ _________ _________ ________.
___ ________ ___ ____ _______ ____ __________ _______ ________.
_______ __________ _________ ______ _____.
_________ _____ _________ _________ _______ ___ ____ ___ ____.
__________ ________ ______ __________ ______ ___ _____ _________ ____ _____ _____ __________.
________ ___ ___ __________ ______.
__________ _________ ________ _______ ____ ____ _____.
_____ ____ ____ __________ ____.
____ _____ _______ ______ ___ _________.
_________ __________.

IGNOU ACADEMY

Your IGNOU journey, made easier.

Solved Assignments
Study Notes
Guess Papers
Question Papers

Call Us WhatsApp

STUDY • PREPARE • SUCCEED

Skip in 10