Equilibrium Constant
When forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate, the system reaches dynamic equilibrium. Chemical equilibrium occurs when dynamic equilibrium realizes for ALL steps of the reaction, i.e. the equilibrium between reagents and the products is achieved.
At a given temperature, the
equilibrium composition is related to the equilibrium
constant, Kc. For the general reaction
aA + bB --> cC
+ dD Kc
is the ratio of the product concentrations divided by the
reactant concentrations, with each concentration raised to the
power of its coefficient in the balanced chemical reaction.
Kc = | [C]c[D]d |
[A]a[B]b |
Regardless of the initial concentrations, the final equilibrium concentrations must satisfy the equation specified by Kc. Usually Kc is written without units.
If an equilibrium involves reactants and products in a single phase that is called a homogeneous equilibrium, opposite to a heterogeneous equilibrium which involves reactants and products in more than one phase. For the latter case when phases are separated (for example solid presipitation) the phases with defined and thus not variable concentartions are excluded from the equilibrium constant expression. Example:
3Fe(s) + 4H2O(g) --> Fe3O4(s) + 4H2(g)
For the reaction of iron with steam, you would write
Kc = | [H2]4 |
[H2O]4 |
Concentrations of Fe and Fe3O4 are omitted, because whereas the concentration of a gas can have various values, the concentration of a pure solid or a pure liquid is a constant at a given temperature. For the same reason, concentration of liquid solvent is usually omitted as well.
Qualitatively Interpreting the Equilibrium Constant
If Kc for a reaction, aA + bB -->cC + dD
is large, the equilibrium mixture is mostly products. If Kc is small, the equilibrium mixture is mostly reactants. When Kc is approximately 1, the equilibrium mixture contains appreciable amounts of both reactants and products.
Predicting the Direction of Reaction
The reaction quotient, Qc, is an expression that has the same form as the equilibrium constant expression but whose concentration values are not necessarily those at equilibrium. For the general reaction
aA + bB -->cC + dD.
the reaction quotient, Qc, is defined as
Qc = | [C]ic[D]id |
[A]ia[B]ib |
where the subscript i on the concentrations means that the instantaneous concentration (not necessarily the equilibrium concentration) is to be used. To predict the direction of a reaction, substitute the concentrations of reactants and products at a particular time into the reaction quotient expression, and compare Qc with the equilibrium constant Kc:
If Qc
> Kc,
the reaction will go to the left. If Qc < Kc, the reaction will go to the right. If Qc = Kc, the reaction mixture is at equilibrium. |
Calculating Equilibrium Concentrations
The equilibrium constant allows us to calculate final equilibrium composition of reactants and products for given initial concentrations. This can be accomplished in three steps:
Multiple Equilibria
When equilibrium constant for a reaction needs to be calculated from equilibrium constants of individual steps one should take approach analogous to the use of Hess's law. As the enthalpy change for the overall equation equals the sum of the enthalpy changes for the individual steps, so the equilibrium constant for the overall equation equals the product of induvidual equilibrium constants in the power representing the coefficient for each reaction in the overall reaction, i.e. if for reaction
aA + bB <==>cC + dD the equlibrium constant is Kc, for the reaction
n * (aA + bB <==>cC + dD) the equlibrium constant will be Kcn.
Example | Enthalpy | Equilibrium Constant | coefficient | Modified Kc | ||||||||
aA + bB <==>cC + dD | DH1 |
|
1 | same | ||||||||
C <==> eE + f D | DH2 |
|
c |
|
||||||||
aA + bB <==>(ce)E + (cd+f)D | DH1 = DH1 + cDH2 |
|
Le Chatelier's Principle
Changing the reaction conditions can affect the outcome of a reaction. Le Chatelier's principle is useful in predicting the results of these changes. It states that when a system in chemical equilibrium is disturbed by a change of temperature, pressure, or concentration, the system shifts its equilibrium composition in a way that tends to counteract the disturbance.
There are
four changes to reaction conditions that we can consider:
Adding or removing
reactants or products - more
products added - the equilibrium responds by increasing the
amount of reagents and vice versa
Changing the
pressure or volume of the system - usually
for gas phase reactions, depends on net change in moles in a
course of a reaction, aA
+ bB -->cC + dD
: if
c+d > a+b, then pressure increase makes less products and vice
versa
Changing the
temperature of the system - if
reaction is exothermic, aA
+ bB -->cC + dD;
DH < 0, (heat is produced, not
consumed), increase of T causes decrease in the products and vice
versa. Nav't Hoff's equation: Kc = A exp(-DH/RT)
Adding a catalyst to the
system -
does not make any difference