Chapter 13: Reaction Rates and Equilibrium Flashcards
collision theory
chemical reactions are due to collisions of molecules
reacting molecules must collide with sufficient energy to
break bonds
molecules must collide in an orientation that can lead to
rearrangement of the atoms
reaction rate
a measure of how fast a reaction occurs
the reaction rate is measured by
an increase in the [products] or a decrease in the [reactants] over time
the reaction rate depends on
[reactants], temperature, and activation energy
increasing the concentration of reactants
increases the frequency of collisions between molecules because there are more molecules present in a given volume, leading to a higher chance of interactions and potential reactions
increasing the temperature
increases the rate of a reaction because molecules collide more frequently and more forcefully, making the molecules more likely to rearrange
reaction profile
a diagram showing the progress of a reaction
activation energy (Ea)
the minimum amount of kinetic energy that must be supplied to start a chemical reaction; Ea = Ets - Ereactants
low barrier (activation energy)
energy required to react is low & high proportion of molecules may have sufficient energy to react = fast rxn
high barrier (activation energy)
activation energy is high & only a few molecules will have sufficient energy to react = slow rxn
transition state
the highest-energy arrangement of atoms in a chemical reaction
net energy change (△E)
E products - E reactants; negative value is exothermic (products are lower in energy, stable) & positive value is endothermic (products are higher in energy, higher potential energy)
catalyst
a substance that is not consumed in a rxn, but whose presence increases the rate of a rxn
a catalyst increases the rate of a rxn by
lowering the activation energy - more particles will have enough energy for the rxn to occur
equilibrium reaction
a reaction that occurs both in the forward and backward direction; the rates of these reactions are the same
equilibrium systems are
dynamic (in constant motion); both the fwd and rev rxns are still occurring, but the [reactants] and [products] do not change once equilibrium has been reached
the side of an equilibrium that is lower in energy will have a
greater concentration
the side of an equilibrium that is higher in energy will have a
smaller concentration
equilibrium expression
an equation that describes the balance between reactants and products in an equilibrium
equilibrium constant (Keq)
the ratio of [reactants] and [products]; [products] ^ coefficient / [reactants] ^ coefficient
the equilibrium constant tells us
whether the equilibrium favors the reactants or products
Keq > 1
products are favored over reactants (ex. 1 x 10^3); if a fraction > 1, the numerator is larger than the denominator
Keq < 1
reactants are favored over products (ex. 1 x 10^-3); if a fraction < 1, the numerator is smaller than the denominator
Keq»_space; 1
rxn goes to completion (ex. 1 x 10^5)
Keq «_space;1
rxn “virtually never occurs” (ex. 1 x 10^-5)
special rules apply for writing equilibrium expressions in three situations involving
solvents, solids, and gases
solvents are not included in equilibrium expressions because
they do not change significantly during a rxn (concentration does not change)
when equilibria involve solids, the amount of solid present
does not affect the concentration of the other components; because of this, solids are not included in equilibrium expressions
when the only reactant/product is a solid, we put a value of
one in its place
solubility product (Ksp)
the equilibrium constant for the solution of an ionic compound
as with other equilibrium expressions, a small Ksp value means
the equilibrium lies far to the left - the smaller the Ksp value, the less soluble the compound is
equilibrium expressions for gases use
partial pressure
Le Châtelier’s principle
the idea that when a change takes place in concentration, temperature, pressure, or other key factors, the equilibrium shifts to minimize that change and a new equilibrium is established
increasing the concentration on one side
increases the concentration on the other side & vice versa
if we add something to an equilibrium,
it pushes the equilibrium toward the other side
if we remove something from the equilibrium,
it pulls the equilibrium toward the side it was removed from
with equilibrium and temperature, the change depends on
the nature of the reaction - exothermic = adding heat to product(s) & endothermic = adding heat to reactant(s)
changes in pressure will only affect the equilibrium if
one or more of the reactants or products is a gas - increasing the amount of gas increases the pressure
increasing the pressure in a chemical system shifts the equilibrium
toward the side with fewer moles of gas
decreasing the pressure in a chemical system shifts the equilibrium
towards the side with more moles of gas