What is the difference between Q and K?
Q is calculated using current concentrations; K is calculated using equilibrium concentrations.
Compare Q and K when Q > K.
Q > K: Too many products; reaction shifts left to reach equilibrium.
Compare Q and K when Q < K.
Q < K: Too many reactants; reaction shifts right to reach equilibrium.
Compare Q and K when Q = K.
Q = K: Reaction is at equilibrium; no shift occurs.
Differentiate between pre-equilibrium and post-equilibrium states.
Pre-equilibrium: Q < K, favors product formation. Post-equilibrium: Q > K, favors reactant formation.
What is the reaction quotient (Q)?
A measure of the relative amounts of products and reactants present in a reaction at any given time.
What is chemical equilibrium?
The state in which the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction, resulting in no net change in reactant and product concentrations.
What is the equilibrium constant (K)?
The ratio of products to reactants at equilibrium, with each concentration raised to the power of its stoichiometric coefficient.
What does Q > K indicate?
The reaction is in a 'post-equilibrium' state, and will shift left (towards reactants) to reach equilibrium.
What does Q < K indicate?
The reaction is in a 'pre-equilibrium' state, and will shift right (towards products) to reach equilibrium.
What does Q = K indicate?
The reaction is at equilibrium; there is no net change in the concentrations of reactants or products.
What is the effect of increasing product concentration when Q < K?
The value of Q increases, moving closer to K, and the reaction shifts to the left if product concentration continues to increase.
What is the effect of decreasing reactant concentration when Q < K?
The value of Q increases, moving closer to K, and the reaction shifts to the left if reactant concentration continues to decrease.
What is the effect of increasing reactant concentration when Q > K?
The value of Q decreases, moving closer to K, and the reaction shifts to the right if reactant concentration continues to increase.
What is the effect of decreasing product concentration when Q > K?
The value of Q decreases, moving closer to K, and the reaction shifts to the right if product concentration continues to decrease.
What happens to the equilibrium if Q is much larger than K?
The reaction will shift significantly towards the reactants to reduce the product concentration and increase the reactant concentration until Q equals K.
What happens to the equilibrium if Q is much smaller than K?
The reaction will shift significantly towards the products to reduce the reactant concentration and increase the product concentration until Q equals K.
