When is chemical equilibrium achieved?
a) when both the forward and reverse reactions stop
b) when all of the reactants are used up
c) when the concentration of products and reactants become equal
d) when the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal
e) all of the above
e) all of the above
are you sure?
I apologize for the confusion. The correct answer is:
d) when the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal.
what is the correct answer?
Apologies for the confusion. The correct answer is:
d) when the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal.
The correct answer is option d) when the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal.
Chemical equilibrium refers to a state in a chemical reaction where the concentrations of reactants and products remain constant over time. In order to determine when chemical equilibrium is achieved, we need to consider the rates of the forward and reverse reactions.
At the beginning of a reaction, reactants are converted to products by the forward reaction. As the reaction proceeds, the concentration of products increases. At the same time, some of the products may undergo the reverse reaction and convert back into reactants. Initially, the forward reaction dominates and the concentration of products increases rapidly.
As the reaction progresses, the concentration of products increases, and the concentration of reactants decreases. Eventually, the rate of the reverse reaction increases and starts to compete with the forward reaction. At a certain point, the rates of the forward and reverse reactions become equal. This is when chemical equilibrium is achieved.
Option a) when both the forward and reverse reactions stop is incorrect because chemical equilibrium is a dynamic state where reactions are still occurring, just at equal rates.
Option b) when all of the reactants are used up is incorrect because even at chemical equilibrium, some amount of reactants will still be present.
Option c) when the concentration of products and reactants become equal is incorrect as well because at equilibrium, the concentrations of reactants and products do not have to be equal. They just remain constant.
Therefore, the correct answer is option d) when the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, indicating that the reaction has reached equilibrium.