Equilibrium 1 Flashcards
What do all reversible reactions eventually reach?
A dynamic equilibrium state
When does dynamic equilibrium occur?
When the rates of the forward and backward reactions are equal
What is the concentrations of the products and reactants at dynamic equilibrium?
They are constant and the reaction is continuous
What expression do we use to describe the composition of the equilibrium mixture?
Position of equilibrium
If the position of equilibrium favours one side more than the other, what does this mean?
There is more of that side
e.g. if the position is towards the left, the mixture will contain mostly reactants
What does Le Chateliers principle state?
If an external condition is changed the equilibrium will shift to oppose the change (and try to reverse it)
What happens if the temperature is increased or decreased in an equilibrium mixture?
If increased, will shift to oppose and move in the endothermic direction to try to reduce temperature by absorbing heat
If decreased, will shift to oppose and move in exothermic reaction to try to increase temperature by releasing heat
Why do we need a compromise temperature in equilibrium mixtures?
Low temperatures may give a high yield of product but will also result in slow rates of reaction
What happens if pressure is increased or decreased in an equilibrium mixture?
Increasing will cause equilibrium to shift towards side with fewer moles of gas to reduce pressure
Decreasing causes it to shift to side with more moles of gas to decrease pressure
What happens if the pressure changes in an equilibrium mixture but both sides have the same number of moles of gas?
It will have no effect on the position of equilibrium
Why can’t we always increase the pressure in an equilibrium mixture?
While it may give a higher yield of product and faster rate, it is expensive to produce - high electrical energy costs to pump gas - and equipment is expensive - to contain high pressure
