Standard state

Think of standard state as a game where everyone agrees to use the same rules. In this game, we all agree to use the same starting point and the same conditions to compare how things behave.

Now, imagine you have a bunch of toys, and you want to compare how they behave. But you realize that they might act differently depending on their surroundings - like if they're hot or cold or under pressure.

So, you and your friends agree to play by the standard state game. You all decide to compare your toys at a standard starting point, where everyone agrees the temperature is 25 degrees Celsius and the pressure is 1 atmosphere.

Now, you can compare your toys more accurately because you're using the same starting point and conditions. It's like everyone is playing by the same rules in the same game, so it's easier to see how things stack up against each other.

In the real world, we use standard state to compare how different chemicals behave. It's like a standard game where we all know the rules and can see how things react in certain conditions.