Home Wikituition Browse all terms Categories
Random term
Thermochemistry & Thermodynamics

Standard State

The reference condition of a pure substance at 1 bar pressure and a stated temperature, conventionally 298.15 K.

Formula / equation denoted by °
Unit Dimensionless

In depth

For a solute the standard state is a 1 mol/L concentration; for an element it is the most stable allotrope under those conditions. Defining a standard state makes thermodynamic data from different sources comparable and lets tabulated values be combined reliably.

Examples in the real world

Graphite rather than diamond is standard-state carbon; O₂ gas rather than ozone is standard-state oxygen.