[joomlab]

How can a reaction be thermodynamically favorable but also kinetically difficult?

For example, N₂ + 3 H₂  2 NH₃

It says in my text that it is kinetically difficult because intermediates rapidly decay...

I guess, my main questions are how is N₂ + 3 H₂  2 NH₃ thermodynamically favorable? What does thermodynamically favorable mean exactly?

[curiouscat]

It could have a very high barrier. Super high activation energy.

Thermodynamically favorable doesn't consider the location of the activated transition state, at all.

[magician4]

in addition:

It says in my text that it is kinetically difficult because intermediates rapidly decay...

I would prefer to look at this from a different point of view: it requires a lot of energy (i.e., in general, high temperatures) to break for example the triple bond of nitrogen, gaining two nitrogen atoms ( as one aspect of the total events).
hence, this doesn't happen very often, therefore the overall speed ( i.e molecules transformed per second) of this is low

I guess, my main questions are how is N2 + 3 H2  2 NH3 thermodynamically favorable? What does thermodynamically favorable mean exactly?

in your example: from two nitrogen atoms and 6 hydrogen atoms, you will gain more energy if you formed two ammonia molecules than the what you would gain from forming a nitrogen molecule and three hydrogen molecules

regards

Ingo