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Chemistry · Ch 8 — Physical and Chemical Equilibrium

Homogeneous equilibrium

8.5.1

Homogeneous equilibrium

In a homogeneous equilibrium, every reactant and every product is present in the very same phase. For instance, in

H2(g)+I2(g)⇌2HI(g)H_2(g) + I_2(g) \rightleftharpoons 2HI(g)

all three species -- H2H_2, I2I_2 and HIHI -- are gases, so the whole equilibrium sits in a single (gaseous) phase. Homogeneous equilibrium is not limited to gases: the ester hydrolysis reaction

CH3COOCH3(aq)+H2O(aq)⇌CH3COOH(aq)+CH3OH(aq)CH_3COOCH_3(aq) + H_2O(aq) \rightleftharpoons CH_3COOH(aq) + CH_3OH(aq) …