What is true about a system in chemical equilibrium?
No reactants remain in the system.
There are no products in the system.
The amount of product equals the amount of reactant.
The amount of reactant changes, but over time remains about the same.
The last one is the closest to being correct.
The correct answer is: The amount of product equals the amount of reactant.
The correct answer is: The amount of reactant changes, but over time remains about the same.
In a chemical equilibrium, the forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate, leading to a dynamic balance between the reactants and products. This means that while reactants are being converted into products, products are also being converted back into reactants.
In an equilibrium state, the concentrations of reactants and products reach a relatively constant value, but they are not equal. The equilibrium constant (K) determines the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium. Therefore, the amount of product will not necessarily equal the amount of reactant.
It's important to note that the equilibrium position can shift depending on external conditions such as temperature, pressure, and concentrations of reactants and products. However, regardless of any shifting, the amount of reactant will still change, but over time it will generally remain about the same due to the dynamic balance achieved in equilibrium.