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Activity · Q27

Q.Prepare concept maps of chemical equilibrium.

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Concept understanding — Equilibrium Constant (Kc, Kp)

For a general reversible reaction aA+bB⇌cC+dDaA+bB\rightleftharpoons cC+dD, setting the forward rate (kf[A]a[B]bk_f[A]^a[B]^b) equal to the reverse rate (kr[C]c[D]dk_r[C]^c[D]^d) at equilibrium gives a constant ratio called the equilibrium constant: Kc=[C]c[D]d[A]a[B]bK_c=\dfrac{[C]^c[D]^d}{[A]^a[B]^b}, using equilibrium concentrations (mol dm−3^{-3}). For gaseous reactions it is often more convenient to use partial pressures instead: Kp=PC cPD dPA aPB dK_p=\dfrac{P_C^{\,c}P_D^{\,d}}{P_A^{\,a}P_B^{\,d}}. When concentrations used in this same ratio are NOT necessarily equilibrium values, the ratio is called the reaction quotient QcQ_c; comparing QcQ_c with KcK_c predicts which way a reaction must shift to reach equilibrium (forward if Qc<KcQ_c<K_c, reverse if Qc>KcQ_c>K_c, already at equilibrium if Qc=KcQ_c=K_c). The reverse reaction's equilibrium constant is the reciprocal of the forward one, Kc′=1/KcK'_c=1/K_c. The unit of KcK_c is (mol dm−3)Δn(\text{mol dm}^{-3})^{\Delta n}, where Δn\Delta n is the difference between the total moles of species in the numerator and denominator. In a heterogeneous equilibrium (more than one phase present, e.g. a solid subliming to a gas), only gaseous and dissolved species are included in the expression, since a pure solid or pure liquid's concentration (activity) is constant and gets absorbed into KcK_c itself. Key characteristics: KcK_c/KpK_p i …

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