According to the Ellingham diagram, which statement is true?
The stability of metal oxides decreases with increasing temperature.
The stability of metal oxides increases with increasing temperature.
The stability of metal oxides remains constant with increasing temperature.
The stability of metal oxides is not affected by temperature.
According to the Ellingham diagram, the stability of metal oxides is represented by the Gibbs free energy change as a function of temperature. The diagram shows a line for each metal oxide, and the slope of these lines indicates the change in stability with temperature.
The Ellingham diagram demonstrates that as the temperature increases, the stability of metal oxides decreases. This means that the metal oxides become less stable and have a greater tendency to be reduced to their corresponding metals at higher temperatures.
The negative slope of the lines on the Ellingham diagram indicates that the $\Delta G$ value becomes more negative (i.e., more favorable for reduction) as the temperature rises. This implies that the oxides are less stable and more easily reduced at higher temperatures.
Therefore, option a) The stability of metal oxides decreases with increasing temperature is the correct statement according to the Ellingham diagram.