Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.
🔑Concepts
Chemical equilibrium is a state in a reversible reaction where the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the backward reaction, denoted as .
Equilibrium is dynamic in nature, meaning the forward and reverse reactions continue to occur at the molecular level, but the macroscopic properties (concentration, pressure, color) remain constant over time.
For a general reaction , the Law of Mass Action states that the equilibrium constant is the ratio of the product of molar concentrations of products to that of reactants, each raised to the power of their stoichiometric coefficients.
In homogeneous equilibrium, all reactants and products are in the same phase (e.g., all gases or all in aqueous solution).
In heterogeneous equilibrium, substances are in different phases. The concentrations of pure solids and pure liquids are taken as unity () and are omitted from the and expressions.
The equilibrium constant is temperature-dependent. It does not change with changes in concentration, pressure, or the addition of a catalyst.
📐Formulae
💡Examples
Problem 1:
For the Haber process reaction: , calculate and state the relationship between and .
Solution:
- Identify the number of gaseous moles of products: (for ).
- Identify the number of gaseous moles of reactants: (for and ).
- Calculate .
- Relationship: or .
Explanation:
The value of is derived only from gaseous components. Since is negative, for this specific reaction.
Problem 2:
Calculate for the reaction if at equilibrium , , and .
Solution:
Using the formula for :
Explanation:
The equilibrium constant is calculated by substituting the equilibrium molar concentrations into the expression derived from the stoichiometric equation.