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.
To determine the change that would occur if the value of the reaction quotient (Q) is greater than the value of the equilibrium constant (K), you need to understand how the reaction quotient and equilibrium constant relate to the direction of the reaction.
The reaction quotient (Q) is calculated using the concentrations of products and reactants at a given point in the reaction, while the equilibrium constant (K) is the ratio of the concentrations of products to the concentrations of reactants at equilibrium.
When Q is greater than K (Q > K), it means that there are more products relative to reactants compared to the equilibrium state. This indicates that the reaction has not yet reached equilibrium and is still shifting towards the products.
Now, let's evaluate the answer choices:
A. The rate of the forward reaction is greater than the rate of the reverse reaction. More reactant forms. - This option is incorrect because Q > K indicates that the reaction is shifting towards the products, not the reactants.
B. The rate of the forward reaction is greater than the rate of the reverse reaction. More product forms. - This option is correct. Q > K suggests that the forward reaction rate is faster than the reverse reaction rate, leading to the formation of more products.
C. The rate of the forward reaction is less than the rate of the reverse reaction. More product forms. - This option is incorrect because Q > K implies that the reaction is shifting towards the products, not the reverse reaction.
D. The rate of the forward reaction is less than the rate of the reverse reaction. More reactant forms. - This option is incorrect for the same reason as option C.
Therefore, the correct answer is B. The rate of the forward reaction is greater than the rate of the reverse reaction. More product forms.