Reversible Reactions Flashcards
state what is meant by a reversible reaction
where the products of the reaction can react for produce the original reactants
explain energy changes and reversible reactions
if a reversible reaction is exothermic in one direction, it is endothermic in the opposite direction - the same amount of energy is transferred in each case
describe the Le Chatelier’s Principle
if a system is at equilibrium and a change is made to any of the conditions, then the system responds to counteract the change
describe the effect of changing concentration on equilibrium
if the concentration of one of the reactants or products is changed, the system is no longer at equilibrium and the concentrations of all the substances will change until equilibrium is reached again
if the concentration of a reactant is increased, more products will be formed until equilibrium is reached again
if the concentration of a product is decreased, more reactants will react until equilibrium is reached again
describe the effect of changing temperature on equilibrium
if the temp of a system as equilibrium is increased:
- the relative amount of products at equilibrium increases for an endothermic reaction
- the relative amount of products at equilibrium decreases for an exothermic reaction
if the temp of a system at equilibrium is decreased:
- the relative amount of products at equilibrium decreases for an endothermic reaction
- the relative amount of products at equilibrium increases for an exothermic reaction
describe the effect of changing pressure on equilibrium
for gaseous reactions at equilibrium:
- an increase in pressure causes the eq position to shift towards the side with the smaller number of molecules as shown by the symbol equation for that reaction
- a decrease in pressure causes the eq position to shift towards the side with the larger number of molecules as shown by the symbol equation for that reaction
