How is the equilibrium constant of a reaction determined? The molarity of products is multiplied by the molarity of reactants.
Answer (2)
The equilibrium constant (K) is determined by the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium, using the balanced chemical equation. It is calculated with the formula K = [ A ] a ⋅ [ B ] b [ C ] c ⋅ [ D ] d . The value of K indicates whether products or reactants are favored in the reaction at equilibrium.
;
The equilibrium constant of a reaction, represented as K e q , is a value that expresses the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium for a reversible chemical reaction. It is specific to a particular reaction at a given temperature.
To determine K e q , follow these steps:
Write the Balanced Equation : Consider a general reaction: a A + b B ⇌ c C + d D Here, A and B are reactants, C and D are products, and a , b , c , and d are the stoichiometric coefficients of the balanced equation.
Expression for K e q : The equilibrium constant expression for the reaction is written as: K e q = [ A ] a [ B ] b [ C ] c [ D ] d where [ C ] , [ D ] , [ A ] , and [ B ] are the molar concentrations of the chemicals C , D , A , and B at equilibrium.
Calculate K e q : You can determine K e q experimentally by measuring the concentrations of the reactants and products at equilibrium.
Units of K e q : The units of K e q depend on the reaction and will cancel out when the expression involves equal numbers of reactants and products. Note that for reactions involving gases, K p may be used, involving partial pressures instead of concentrations.
This approach helps in predicting the direction of the reaction, understanding the extent of the reaction, and assessing factors affecting equilibrium (like temperature changes) by referencing Le Chatelier's Principle.
