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Chemical Equilibrium
Definition of Chemical equilibrium refers to a state in a chemical reaction where the concentrations of reactants and products no longer change over time. In this state, the forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate, resulting in a dynamic balance where the concentrations of all substances involved remain constant.
Chemical equilibrium like a seesaw where two kids are perfectly balanced. When the seesaw is level, it's like a chemical reaction at equilibrium. Imagine those kids as reactants and products in a chemical reaction.
At first, one side might be higher (more reactants), and the other side lower (fewer products). But as they play and move, they balance out, just like in a reaction when reactants turn into products and vice versa.
In the same way, in a chemical reaction at equilibrium, the reactants are turning into products at the same rate that products are turning back into reactants. It's a constant back-and-forth, but the overall amounts of reactants and products stay the same.
If you add more of one kid (more reactants) to the seesaw, the seesaw tilts, but then it levels out again as the kids adjust their positions. Similarly, if you change things like concentration, pressure, or temperature in a chemical reaction, the system adjusts to balance out again—just like the kids on the seesaw readjust to keep it level.
Chemical equilibrium is the state in a chemical reaction where the forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate, resulting in a balanced condition where the concentrations of reactants and products remain constant over time. At equilibrium, there is no net change in the overall amounts of substances involved in the reaction, even though the reactions continue to proceed in both directions.
At equilibrium, the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, but it's important to note that equilibrium doesn't mean that the reactions have stopped. Instead, the rates of the forward and reverse reactions have reached an equilibrium point, where there's no net change in the concentrations of reactants and products.
Which means-
the rate of the forward reaction = rate of the backward reaction
I.e., in a chemical reaction,
rf = rb
Related Video:
1.0Equilibrium Constant (Keq)
The equilibrium state is described by the equilibrium constant (Keq), which is the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants, each raised to the power of their respective coefficients in the balanced chemical equation.
The expression for the equilibrium constant depends on whether the reaction is in terms of concentrations (for gases and solutions) or partial pressures (for gases).