What change do you expect if the value of the reaction quotient is greater than the value of the equilibrium constant?
A. The rate of the forward reaction is greater than the rate of the reverse reaction. More reactant forms.
B. The rate of the forward reaction is greater than the rate of the reverse reaction. More product forms.
C. The rate of the forward reaction is less than the rate of the reverse reaction. More product forms.
D. The rate of the forward reaction is less than the rate of the reverse reaction. More reactant forms.
My instinct says its B. What do you think?
nope, your instinct is wrong.
http://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Equilibria/Chemical_Equilibria/The_Reaction_Quotient
To determine the answer to this question, we should understand the concept of the reaction quotient and the equilibrium constant.
The reaction quotient (Q) is a measure of the relative concentrations of reactants and products at a given point during a reaction. It is calculated in the same way as the equilibrium constant (K), but it is not necessarily at equilibrium. The equilibrium constant (K) is the ratio of the concentrations of the products to the concentrations of the reactants at equilibrium.
If the value of the reaction quotient (Q) is greater than the value of the equilibrium constant (K), it means that the concentrations of the products are relatively higher compared to the reactants. This indicates that the reaction has not yet reached equilibrium.
Now, let's analyze the answer choices based on this information:
A. The rate of the forward reaction is greater than the rate of the reverse reaction. More reactant forms.
B. The rate of the forward reaction is greater than the rate of the reverse reaction. More product forms.
C. The rate of the forward reaction is less than the rate of the reverse reaction. More product forms.
D. The rate of the forward reaction is less than the rate of the reverse reaction. More reactant forms.
Based on the given information, option B seems to be the correct answer. When the value of Q is greater than K, it means that the concentrations of the products are higher than at equilibrium. This suggests that the forward reaction is favored, and more product will be formed.
Therefore, the expected change when the value of the reaction quotient is greater than the value of the equilibrium constant is that more product forms (option B).