If K > 1 at 25°C and 1 atm of pressure, then which statement is true about the reaction's equilibrium?
A. There is always more reactant than product at equilibrium under all conditions.
B. There is more product than reactant at equilibrium at these conditions.
C. There is always more product than reactant at equilibrium under all conditions.
D. There is more reactant than product at equilibrium at these conditions
I have no idea how to answer this. Someone please help me out.
So the answer should be B
Here is a hint. In a general reaction we have
reactants ----> products. At equilibrium we have
K = (products)/(reactants)
So when K = 1, we know numerator/denominator = 1 which means products = reactants. That's the only way it can be 1.
When K < 1 we know the numerator is less than the denominator.
When K > 1 we know the numerator is greater than the denominator.
So if K > 1 we know the top number stuff is more than the bottom number stuff. Right?
Wait but I'm not sure how to differentiate between B and C. Can there ALWAYS be more product?
That's right. We know that K is a constant. It doesn't change EXCEPT for two things. If the temperature changes then K changes. It may become larger or smaller. For gaseous reactions, if pressure changes K will change if the number of moles of gas is not the same on both sides. So under all conditions to me would mean ANY temperature and ANY pressure so I wouldn't pick that one. Right?
yes
To determine the answer, we need to understand the relationship between the equilibrium constant (K) and the concentration of reactants and products at equilibrium.
K is defined as the ratio of the product concentrations to the reactant concentrations raised to the power of their stoichiometric coefficients, each raised to its respective power of the balanced chemical equation. In the case of gases, K can also be expressed in terms of partial pressures.
If K > 1, it means that the concentration (or pressure) of products is greater than the concentration (or pressure) of reactants at equilibrium. This suggests that the reaction favors the formation of products and will proceed further towards the products' side.
Based on this information, the correct answer to the question is:
B. There is more product than reactant at equilibrium at these conditions.
When K > 1, it indicates that the reaction has a higher concentration (or pressure) of products compared to reactants at equilibrium.