AP Chemistry Flashcards: Magnitude of the Equilibrium Constant
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When K << 1, where does the position of equilibrium lie?
When K is very small (K << 1), the position of equilibrium lies far to the left, favoring the reactants.
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When K << 1, where does the position of equilibrium lie?
When K is very small (K << 1), the position of equilibrium lies far to the left, favoring the reactants.
A chemical reaction has an equilibrium constant of K = 8.0 x 10^9. At equilibrium, which species will be present in higher concentrations: reactants or products?
Products will be present in much higher concentrations because the very large value of K indicates the reaction proceeds nearly to completion.
When K >> 1, where does the position of equilibrium lie?
When K is very large (K >> 1), the position of equilibrium lies far to the right, favoring the formation of products.
If a reaction has a very small K value, will a significant amount of product form when the reaction reaches equilibrium?
No, a reaction with a very small K value will have very low concentrations of products at equilibrium because it barely proceeds at all.
If a reaction 'barely proceeds at all,' what does this imply about the concentrations of reactants and products at equilibrium?
This implies that at equilibrium, the concentrations of the reactants are significantly greater than the concentrations of the products.
Consider a reaction with K = 1.5 x 10^-7. Does this equilibrium favor the forward or reverse reaction?
This equilibrium favors the reverse reaction, as the very small K value indicates that the reaction barely proceeds in the forward direction and reactants predominate.
If a reaction 'proceeds essentially to completion,' what can be inferred about its K value?
A reaction that proceeds essentially to completion must have a very large equilibrium constant (K), signifying the forward reaction is highly favored.
What does a very small equilibrium constant (K) indicate about a reaction?
A very small K value indicates that the reaction barely proceeds at all, meaning reactants are heavily favored at equilibrium.
How does the magnitude of K relate to the relative concentrations of species at equilibrium?
A large K means product concentrations are much higher than reactant concentrations at equilibrium, while a small K means reactant concentrations are much higher.
What does a very large equilibrium constant (K) indicate about a reaction?
A very large K value indicates that the reaction proceeds essentially to completion, meaning products are heavily favored at equilibrium.