In a multiphase, multi-component system, what condition must be met for phase equilibrium to exist____________________?
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Answer: A. Chemical potentials of a given component should be equal in all phases
Explanation
Phase equilibrium requires chemical potential of every component to be identical across all coexisting phases. If chemical potentials differed mass would transfer spontaneously until energy equilibrium was restored. This fundamental thermodynamic criterion governs all multi-phase and multi-component system analyses. Chemical potential represents the partial molar Gibbs free energy of a component in a mixture. Multiphase systems include vapor liquid solid or liquid-liquid extraction setups in chemical engineering. Thermodynamic equilibrium is defined as a state of minimum total Gibbs free energy for the system.
Distillation tower design relies on chemical potential equality to model vapor liquid mass transfer rates. Extraction processes use phase equilibrium equations to calculate solute distribution between immiscible liquids. Materials science applies phase rules to predict alloy microstructures during solidification processes. Equal potentials across all components within a single phase is not the governing criterion for phase equilibrium. Summing chemical potentials across phases violates fundamental thermodynamic derivation requirements. Stating none of these is false because option A correctly states the phase equilibrium condition.
- Subject
- Engineering
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- Chemical Engineering
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