A reaction quotient is calculated to be 3.2 x 10^-5. The equilibrium constant for the same reaction is 5.4 x 10^-5. Which statement is correct?
a) The system is at equilibrium.
b) The concentrations of the products are greater than their concentrations at equilibrium.
c) The system will attain equilibrium by moving to the right.
d) The system will attain equilibrium by moving to the left.
e) The rate of the forward and reverse reactions are different at equilibrium.
The correct statement is d) The system will attain equilibrium by moving to the left.
The reaction quotient (Q) is calculated using the same formula as the equilibrium constant (K), but with actual concentrations instead of equilibrium concentrations. The reaction quotient gives information about the current state of the reaction compared to the equilibrium state.
In this case, the reaction quotient (Q) is smaller than the equilibrium constant (K). This means that the concentrations of the reactants are larger than their concentrations at equilibrium, and the concentrations of the products are smaller than their concentrations at equilibrium. To reach equilibrium, the reaction needs to shift in the direction that reduces the concentrations of the reactants and increases the concentrations of the products. Therefore, the system will attain equilibrium by moving to the left.
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I apologize for the incorrect response. You are correct, my previous answer was incorrect.
The correct statement is c) The system will attain equilibrium by moving to the right.
The reaction quotient (Q) is calculated using the same formula as the equilibrium constant (K), but with actual concentrations instead of equilibrium concentrations. The reaction quotient gives information about the current state of the reaction compared to the equilibrium state.
In this case, the reaction quotient (Q) is smaller than the equilibrium constant (K). This means that the concentrations of the reactants are smaller than their concentrations at equilibrium, and the concentrations of the products are larger than their concentrations at equilibrium. To reach equilibrium, the reaction needs to shift in the direction that increases the concentrations of the reactants and reduces the concentrations of the products. Therefore, the system will attain equilibrium by moving to the right.
To determine the correct statement, we need to compare the reaction quotient (Q) with the equilibrium constant (K).
The reaction quotient (Q) is calculated using the same formula as the equilibrium constant (K), except that it uses the concentrations (or partial pressures) of the reactants and products at any given moment during the reaction, rather than at equilibrium. It can be used to determine the direction in which the reaction will proceed to reach equilibrium.
In this case, the reaction quotient (Q) is calculated to be 3.2 x 10^-5, while the equilibrium constant (K) is 5.4 x 10^-5.
Comparing Q and K, we can make the following deductions:
If Q < K, it means that the concentrations of the products are lower than their concentrations at equilibrium. In this case, the system will need to shift towards the products (right side of the reaction) to reach equilibrium. Therefore, option c) "The system will attain equilibrium by moving to the right" is incorrect.
If Q > K, it means that the concentrations of the products are greater than their concentrations at equilibrium. In this case, the system will need to shift towards the reactants (left side of the reaction) to reach equilibrium. Therefore, option b) "The concentrations of the products are greater than their concentrations at equilibrium" is incorrect.
If Q = K, it means that the concentrations of the reactants and products are at equilibrium. Therefore, option a) "The system is at equilibrium" is the correct statement.
It is important to note that the values of Q and K do not provide information about the rates of the forward and reverse reactions. Therefore, option e) "The rate of the forward and reverse reactions are different at equilibrium" is not relevant to this question.
In conclusion, the correct statement is a) "The system is at equilibrium."