The Van't Hoff equation makes the temperature-dependence of the equilibrium constant K fully quantitative. It follows directly from two thermodynamic relations: ΔG0=−RTlnK and ΔG0=ΔH0−TΔS0. Equating these and rearranging gives
lnK=−RTΔH0+RΔS0
Differentiating with respect to temperature (treating ΔH0 as constant over the interval of interest) gives the differential form,
dTd(lnK)=RT2ΔH0
Integrating between two temperatures T1,T2 with equilibrium constants K1,K2 gives the integrated form,
logK1K2=2.303RΔH0(T1T2T2−T1)
This single equation lets either ΔH0 or an unknown K at a new temperature be calculated from the other quantities. Given K1=8.19×102 at T1=298 K and K2=4.6×10−1 at T2=498 K for ammonia synthesis: log(K2/K1)=log(0.46/819)=−3.2505; rearranging for ΔH0, ΔH0=(T2−T1)/(T1T2)2.303Rlog(K2/K1)=200/14840419.147×(−3.2505)≈−46,190 J mol−1≈−46.2 kJ mol−1 -- negative, confirming ammonia synthesis is exothermic (K falls as T rises, exactly as Le Chatelier's principle predicts for an exothermic forward reaction). Given ΔH instead, an unknown K2 can be found the same way: for KP1=0.0260 at T1=298 K with ΔH=32.4 kJ mol−1, KP2 at T2=310 K works out to 0.0431. …