WASTEWATER TREATMENT
OPERATOR EXAM PREP QUESTIONS
ANSWERS EXPERT VERIFIED
◉ T or F: In bioenergetics, we care about the reaction mechanism
used to reach the products. Answer: False- we only care about initial
and final energy states
◉ Define a system. Answer: all the reactants and products with
regard to
- chemical rxn
- solvent that contains the reactants and product
- immediate atmosphere
◉ Isolated System. Answer: NO exchange of energy OR matter
◉ Closed System. Answer: Exchanges energy and NOT matter
◉ Open System. Answer: Exchange of energy and matter
◉ A living system is considered to be. Answer: completely open
,◉ 1st Law of Thermodynamics. Answer: Energy remains constant
◉ 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Answer: Some amount of energy is
lost
◉ Entropy. Answer: Randomness/Disorder (S)
- amount of energy no longer available to perform USEFUL work
◉ What does a positive delta S mean. Answer: You have an
INCREASE of entropy (disorder)
◉ What does a negative delta S mean. Answer: You have a decrease
in entropy (disorder)
◉ When do we have the highest possible entropy for a system?.
Answer: When it has reached entropy equilibrium
◉ T or F: the degradation of a large protein enzymes into its amino
acid building blocks involves an increase in entropy to the system.
Answer: True
◉ Enthalpy. Answer: Total Heat Component (H)
- energy in a thermodynamic system equivalent to the total heat
component of the system
,◉ What does delta H represent. Answer: The numbers/kinds of
chemical bonds and non-covalent interactions BROKEN and
FORMED during a rxn
◉ What does a negative delta H mean?. Answer: Exothermic reaction
(release of heat)
◉ What does a positive delta H mean?. Answer: Endergonic reaction
(absorption of heat)
◉ What establishes is a reaction is favorable or not?. Answer:
Change in G!
-G: favorable
+G: unfavorable (will need a coupled reaction)
◉ What does change in G represent?. Answer: The change in FREE
ENERGY from the reactants to the products (final state)
◉ - G. Answer: spontaneous
◉ + G. Answer: non-spontaneous
, ◉ Give the formula for G (free energy change). Answer:
◉ What does thermodynamic favorability depend on?. Answer: 1.
Energy difference
2. Concentration of reactants and products
◉ Why is coupling so important?. Answer: It couples favorable and
unfavorable reactions to make the overall process
thermodynamically favorable
◉ T or F: The first step of glycolysis (glucose -- > glucose-6-
phosphate) is thermodynamically unfavorable. Answer: True
- the rxn is coupled to exergonic cleavage of ATP --> ADP so that it
can have a -G change)
◉ What is another example of Coupled Reactions in glycolysis?.
Answer: ☆ Reaction 10 ☆
Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) --- > Pyruvate through pryruvate kinase
(yields -G)
◉ Catalysts do what?. Answer: They lower activation energy and
speed up chemical reactions
OPERATOR EXAM PREP QUESTIONS
ANSWERS EXPERT VERIFIED
◉ T or F: In bioenergetics, we care about the reaction mechanism
used to reach the products. Answer: False- we only care about initial
and final energy states
◉ Define a system. Answer: all the reactants and products with
regard to
- chemical rxn
- solvent that contains the reactants and product
- immediate atmosphere
◉ Isolated System. Answer: NO exchange of energy OR matter
◉ Closed System. Answer: Exchanges energy and NOT matter
◉ Open System. Answer: Exchange of energy and matter
◉ A living system is considered to be. Answer: completely open
,◉ 1st Law of Thermodynamics. Answer: Energy remains constant
◉ 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Answer: Some amount of energy is
lost
◉ Entropy. Answer: Randomness/Disorder (S)
- amount of energy no longer available to perform USEFUL work
◉ What does a positive delta S mean. Answer: You have an
INCREASE of entropy (disorder)
◉ What does a negative delta S mean. Answer: You have a decrease
in entropy (disorder)
◉ When do we have the highest possible entropy for a system?.
Answer: When it has reached entropy equilibrium
◉ T or F: the degradation of a large protein enzymes into its amino
acid building blocks involves an increase in entropy to the system.
Answer: True
◉ Enthalpy. Answer: Total Heat Component (H)
- energy in a thermodynamic system equivalent to the total heat
component of the system
,◉ What does delta H represent. Answer: The numbers/kinds of
chemical bonds and non-covalent interactions BROKEN and
FORMED during a rxn
◉ What does a negative delta H mean?. Answer: Exothermic reaction
(release of heat)
◉ What does a positive delta H mean?. Answer: Endergonic reaction
(absorption of heat)
◉ What establishes is a reaction is favorable or not?. Answer:
Change in G!
-G: favorable
+G: unfavorable (will need a coupled reaction)
◉ What does change in G represent?. Answer: The change in FREE
ENERGY from the reactants to the products (final state)
◉ - G. Answer: spontaneous
◉ + G. Answer: non-spontaneous
, ◉ Give the formula for G (free energy change). Answer:
◉ What does thermodynamic favorability depend on?. Answer: 1.
Energy difference
2. Concentration of reactants and products
◉ Why is coupling so important?. Answer: It couples favorable and
unfavorable reactions to make the overall process
thermodynamically favorable
◉ T or F: The first step of glycolysis (glucose -- > glucose-6-
phosphate) is thermodynamically unfavorable. Answer: True
- the rxn is coupled to exergonic cleavage of ATP --> ADP so that it
can have a -G change)
◉ What is another example of Coupled Reactions in glycolysis?.
Answer: ☆ Reaction 10 ☆
Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) --- > Pyruvate through pryruvate kinase
(yields -G)
◉ Catalysts do what?. Answer: They lower activation energy and
speed up chemical reactions
