Typical Reaction: reactants products Actually, most reactions are REVERSIBLE: Reactants products Reactants products Reactants > products
When a reaction is occurring: Rate of forward rxn > rate of reverse rxn product will be formed (reaction favors products) Rate of reverse rxn > rate of forward rxn Product will decompose to reactants (reaction favors reactants) Rate of forward rxn = rate of reverse rxn Product is being formed at same rate as being decomposed……Rxn is at EQUILIBRIUM
Some Equilibrium Tidbits: For equilibrium to occur, the system must be CLOSED (neither products nor reactants can enter or leave the system) Equilibrium can be approached from either side of the reaction equation At equilibrium, the concentration of the reactants and products do not change
At equilibrium, OBSERVABLE PROPERTIES become constant Colour change - colour intensity has stabilized Mass of solid formed remains the same Gaseous reaction – pressure stabilizes
Physical Equilibrium: equilibrium which has occurred during a physical change (eg. Ice water) Chemical Equilibrium: equilibrium which has occurred during a chemical change
HOMOGENEOUS REACTION EQUILIBRIUM: products and reactants are all in same phase (gases or in solution) eg. N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) 2NH3 (g) HETEROGENEOUS REACTION EQUILIBRIUM: products and reactants are not all in same phase eg. CaCO3 (s) > CaO (s) + CO2 (g)
Equilibrium can be altered by changes in: Concentration of reactants or products Temperature Volume and pressure (if gases) BUT NOT BY A CATALYST A CATALYST AFFECTS BOTH THE FORWARD AND THE REVERSE RATE…THE SYSTEM WILL REACH EQUILIBRIUM FASTER, BUT EQUILIBRIUM IS STILL THE SAME!!