Statement I: Thermodynamic data indicate that diamond shall convert to graphite, and this conversion takes place at a perceptible rate.
Statement II: The extent to which a reaction will proceed can be determined from chemical equilibrium.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Only Statement II is correct.
For a chemical reaction three questions are asked: is it feasible, how far will it go, and how fast will it go. Thermodynamics answers the first, chemical equilibrium the second and chemical kinetics the third.
Statement I: Thermodynamic data indicate that diamond shall convert to graphite, and this conversion takes place at a perceptible rate. — False. The conversion is feasible, but it is so slow that the change is not perceptible at all. A feasible reaction need not be a fast one; feasibility says nothing about the rate.
Statement II: The extent to which a reaction will proceed can be determined from chemical equilibrium. — True. How far a reaction goes is found from chemical equilibrium; the time taken to reach equilibrium is the subject of kinetics.
NCERT (2026-27 edition):
Unit 3 Chemical Kinetics – “(a) the feasibility of a chemical reaction which can be predicted by thermodynamics (as you know that a reaction with ΔG < 0, at constant temperature and pressure is feasible); (b) extent to which a reaction will proceed can be determined from chemical equilibrium; (c) speed of a reaction i.e. time taken by a reaction to reach equilibrium.”
“Thermodynamics tells only about the feasibility of a reaction whereas chemical kinetics tells about the rate of a reaction. For example, thermodynamic data indicate that diamond shall convert to graphite but in reality the conversion rate is so slow that the change is not perceptible at all.”