Gx - 6-5-2003 at 03:07
Can anyone try to explain or know any good webpages which can explain Equilibrium easily needed for exam nxt wk thanks
Lugh - 6-5-2003 at 12:54
Or to put it another way. Its when the forward rate of the reaction is equal to the reverse rate. i.e. X + Y <=> XY.
When they are at equilibrium the amount of XY being produced from X +Y, is equal to the amount of X and Y produced from XY.
To change the position of the equilibrium an external force is needed, like heat, pushing the equilibrium to the left or right.
Again most basic textbooks explain this very well...with diagrams and all
Ramiel - 7-5-2003 at 03:31
"When the forward rate of reaction equals the reverse rate of reaction and there is no macroscopic change in the system"
Mumbles - 7-5-2003 at 19:10
It also always wants to stay at the equilibrium. So if you remove some of the product, it wants to make more. So if you remove something from one
side it subtracts from the other, and if you add something more substance on the other side will be formed.
K<sub>eq</sub>=<u>[Products]</u>
[Reactants]
Theres the equation to find equilibrium. If K<sub>eq</sub> < 1 reactants are favored. If K<sub>eq</sub> > 1 products
are favored. Obtaining the correct numbers from experiments for the equation is nearly immpossible for the home chemist if any gases are involved.
Liquids and solids are somewhat easier, but you must have an effective mechanism for isolation each substance involved with little or no loss.
DDTea - 7-5-2003 at 19:31
I will try to make this simple...this is how my chemistry teacher explained it to us:
There are two forces that drive a reaction- the need to give off energy ( (delta)H ) and the need for greater disorder ( (delta)S ).
Imagine a simple system: a jar full of water, and closed. Nothing may enter or leave- no matter and no more energy. What happens? Well, the need
for disorder (Entrapy) is greater than the need to give off energy (since the water is in the liquid phase, and does not contain terribly much energy
anyway). So, the water evaporates to the gas phase and uses up all the available energy in the system. Once all the energy is used, then the need to
give off energy prevails, and the water begins to condense.
When the rate at which the water evaporates is equal to the rate at which the water condenses, the system is said to be at equilibrium.