An equilibrium constant of `10^(-4)` for a reaction means, the equilibrium is

Options

A. largely towads backward direction.
B. largely towards forward direction.
C. equally poised
D. never established.

Answer

To determine the nature of the equilibrium when the equilibrium constant \( K \) is \( 10^{-4} \), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Equilibrium Constant**:
The equilibrium constant \( K \) for a reaction at equilibrium is defined as:
\[ K = \frac{[\text{products}]}{[\text{reactants}]} \]
where the concentrations of products and reactants are raised to the power of their stoichiometric coefficients.

2. **Analyzing the Given Value of \( K \)**:
Here, we have \( K = 10^{-4} \). This indicates that the concentration of products at equilibrium is much lower than that of the reactants.

3. **Interpreting the Value of \( K \)**:
A small value of \( K \) (much less than 1) suggests that at equilibrium, the reaction favors the reactants over the products. This means that the reaction does not proceed significantly towards the formation of products.

4. **Considering the Reaction Direction**:
If we consider a generic reaction:
\[ A + B \rightleftharpoons C + D \]
With \( K = \frac{[C][D]}{[A][B]} = 10^{-4} \), it implies that:
\[ [C][D] \ll [A][B] \]
Therefore, the concentration of reactants \( [A] \) and \( [B] \) is much greater than that of products \( [C] \) and \( [D] \).

5. **Conclusion**:
Since the equilibrium constant is very small, we conclude that the equilibrium position lies significantly towards the reactants. Thus, the equilibrium is largely shifted towards the backward direction.

### Final Answer:
The equilibrium is largely shifted towards the backward direction.