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Reversible Reactions and Equilibria

Reversible reactions can occur in both directions and are represented by a double-headed arrow. Dynamic equilibrium exists when the forward and backward reaction rates are equal, keeping the concentrations of reactants and products constant. Le Chatelier's principle states that if a stress is applied to a system at equilibrium, it will shift in a way to relieve that stress. Temperature and pressure changes can shift the equilibrium position by favoring the endothermic or exothermic direction, or by favoring the direction with fewer moles of gas. Catalysts increase the reaction rate but do not change the equilibrium position.

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89 views3 pages

Reversible Reactions and Equilibria

Reversible reactions can occur in both directions and are represented by a double-headed arrow. Dynamic equilibrium exists when the forward and backward reaction rates are equal, keeping the concentrations of reactants and products constant. Le Chatelier's principle states that if a stress is applied to a system at equilibrium, it will shift in a way to relieve that stress. Temperature and pressure changes can shift the equilibrium position by favoring the endothermic or exothermic direction, or by favoring the direction with fewer moles of gas. Catalysts increase the reaction rate but do not change the equilibrium position.

Uploaded by

Mangetsu Hozuki
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reversible Reactions and Equilibria

Reversible reaction = a reaction that can occur in both directions (the products can react to produce the
original reactants again).

When writing chemical equations for reversible reactions, two arrows are used, each with just half an
arrowhead – the top one point right, and the bottom one pointing left:

Dehydration of Hydrated Copper (II) Sulfate:

Hydrous Copper (II) Sulfate     ⇌   Anhydrous Copper (II) Sulfate     +     Water

Thermal Decomposition of Ammonium Chloride:

 Ammonium Chloride     ⇌     Ammonia     +     Hydrogen Chloride

Dynamic Equilibrium
Dynamic equilibrium = the condition that exists in a sealed container when the rate of the forward and
backward reactions in a reversible reaction mixture are equal

Example: The reaction between hydrogen gas and nitrogen gas to make ammonia (Haber process):

 When only Nitrogen and Hydrogen are present at the beginning of the reaction, the rate of the forward
reaction is at its highest, since the concentrations of Hydrogen and Nitrogen are at their highest.
 As the reaction proceeds, the concentrations of Hydrogen and Nitrogen gradually decrease, so the rate
of forward reaction will decrease. However, the concentration of Ammonia is gradually increasing and
so the rate of the backward reaction will increase (Ammonia will decompose to reform hydrogen and
nitrogen).
 Since the two reactions are interlinked and none of the gas can escape, the rate of the forward reaction
and the rate of the backward reaction will eventually become equal:

3H2 (g)      +      N2 (g)     ⇌      2NH3 (g)

Conditions of dynamic equilibrium:

 Forward and backward reactions occur at the same rate


 Concentrations of reactants and products remain constant
 Both forward and backward reactions are occurring

Le Chatelier’s Principle
 “When a reversible reaction is in equilibrium and you make a change, it will do what it can to oppose
that change.”
 This is used to predict changes to the position of equilibrium when there are changes in temperature
or pressure.
Position of equilibrium = the concentration of reactant and products at the equilibrium state.
 When the position of equilibrium shifts to the left, it means the concentration of reactant increases.
 When the position of equilibrium shifts to right, this means the concentration of product increases.

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Effect of Temperature on Dynamic Equilibrium

Example:
Iodine Monochloride reacts reversibly with Chlorine to form Iodine Trichloride.
ICl              +              Cl2              ⇌             ICl3

Dark Brown                                                         Yellow

When the equilibrium mixture is heated, it becomes darker brown in colour. Explain whether the backward
reaction is exothermic or endothermic:

 Equilibrium has shifted to the left as the colour dark brown means that more of ICI is produced
 Increasing temperature moves the equilibrium in the endothermic direction
 so the backward reaction is endothermic

Effect of Pressure on Dynamic Equilibrium

Example:
Nitrogen Dioxide can form Dinitrogen Tetraoxide, a colourless gas
2NO2             ⇌              N2O4

Brown Gas                    Colourless Gas

Predict the effect of the increase in pressure on the position of equilibrium:

 Number of molecules of gas on the left =    2


 Number of molecules of gas on the right =    1
 An increase in pressure will cause equilibrium to shift in the direction that produces the smaller number
of molecules of gas
 so equilibrium shifts to the right

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Catalysts and Dynamic Equilibrium

Catalyst = a substance that increases the rate of a reaction, but is chemically unchanged at the end of the
reaction.

Effect of catalyst on equilibrium position:

 A catalyst will not affect the position of equilibrium


 This is because the catalyst increases the rate of both the forward and backward reactions by the same
amount (by providing an alternative pathway requiring lower activation energy)
 As a result, the concentration of reactants and products is nevertheless the same at equilibrium as it
would be without the catalyst

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