Reversible Reactions and Dynamic Equilibrium in Chemistry

Reversible Reaction

Products can revert to original reactants.

Dynamic Equilibrium

Forward and backward reactions occur at equal rates.

Haber Process

Nitrogen and hydrogen react to form ammonia.

Equilibrium Symbol

Indicates a reversible chemical reaction.

Iron Catalyst

Speeds up the Haber process without being consumed.

High Temperature

450 °C used in the Haber process.

High Pressure

200 atmospheres used in the Haber process.

Le Chatelier's Principle

System adjusts to counteract changes in conditions.

Endothermic Reaction

Absorbs heat; equilibrium shifts right with temperature increase.

Exothermic Reaction

Releases heat; equilibrium shifts left with temperature increase.

Equilibrium Shift

Position changes due to concentration or pressure alterations.

Concentration Increase

Shifts equilibrium towards products (right).

Concentration Decrease

Shifts equilibrium towards reactants (left).

Pressure Increase

Favors reaction with fewer gas molecules.

Pressure Decrease

Favors reaction with more gas molecules.

Yield of Reaction

Amount of product formed in a chemical reaction.

Forward Reaction

Reactants convert to products in a chemical reaction.

Backward Reaction

Products revert to reactants in a reversible reaction.

Ammonia Formation

Nitrogen and hydrogen react to produce ammonia.

Reaction Conditions

Temperature, pressure, and concentration affect equilibrium.

Chemical Equilibrium

State where concentrations of reactants/products remain constant.

Catalyst Role

Increases reaction rate without altering equilibrium position.

Equilibrium Shift Left

Decreases yield of products in reactions.

Equilibrium Shift Right

Increases yield of products in reactions.

Endothermic Reaction

Absorbs heat; equilibrium shifts right when heated.

Exothermic Reaction

Releases heat; equilibrium shifts left when cooled.

Reactivity of Metals

Determined by reactions with water, acids, and oxygen.

Very Reactive Metals

React with cold water, producing hydrogen gas.

Fairly Reactive Metals

React with acids to produce hydrogen and salts.

Gold's Reactivity

Extremely unreactive; does not react with water or acids.

Displacement Reaction

More reactive metal displaces less reactive metal.

Oxidation

Loss of electrons; occurs in more reactive metals.

Reduction

Gain of electrons; occurs in less reactive metals.

Reactivity Series

Ranking of metals based on reactivity with water and acids.

Metal Hydroxide Formation

Occurs when metals react with acids, forming alkaline solutions.

Hydrogen Production

Indicates reaction occurrence; seen as bubbles.

Cation Formation

More reactive metals form cations during displacement.

Ion Formation

Oxidized metals form ions in salt solutions.

Atom Formation

Reduced metals form atoms when displaced in solutions.

Potassium Reaction

Reacts vigorously with water to form potassium hydroxide.

Calcium Reaction

Reacts with water, producing calcium hydroxide and hydrogen.

Zinc Reaction

Reacts with dilute acids to produce hydrogen gas.

Copper Reactivity

Least reactive; does not displace hydrogen from acids.

Metal Ions

Positively charged atoms formed by metals.

Reactivity Series

Order of metals based on reactivity.

Displacement Reaction

More reactive metal replaces less reactive metal.

Oxidation

Gain of oxygen in a chemical reaction.

Reduction

Loss of oxygen in a chemical reaction.

Electrolysis

Process using electricity to extract metals.

Carbon Reduction

Using carbon to extract less reactive metals.

Blast Furnace

High-temperature furnace for iron extraction.

Potassium

Most reactive metal in the series.

Sodium

Second most reactive metal in the series.

Calcium

Reactive metal, reacts with water.

Magnesium

Metal that can displace zinc.

Aluminium

Extracted via electrolysis due to high reactivity.

Zinc

Metal that reacts with dilute acids.

Iron

Less reactive than carbon, extracted by carbon.

Copper

Less reactive, found uncombined in nature.

Silver

Less reactive than copper, used in jewelry.

Gold

Least reactive, found uncombined in nature.

Hydrogen

Non-metal included in the reactivity series.

Carbon

Non-metal used in reduction processes.

Cryolite

Used in aluminium electrolysis to lower melting point.

Iron Oxide

Compound reduced to obtain pure iron.

Phytoextraction

Plants absorb and concentrate metal compounds.

Bacterial extraction

Bacteria absorb metals, creating leachate solutions.

Leachate

Solution containing absorbed metal compounds from bacteria.

Relative resistance to oxidation

Resistance to losing electrons varies by reactivity series.

Reactivity series

List ranking metals by their reactivity.

Oxidation

Loss of electrons forming positive metal ions.

Recycling metals

Process of reusing metals to save resources.

Economic implications of recycling

Recycling reduces costs and resource depletion.

Environmental impact of mining

Mining creates quarries, noise, and dust pollution.

Sustainable development

Using resources responsibly to meet future needs.

Life time assessment (LTA)

Evaluates environmental impact across product lifecycle.

Stages of LTA

Includes extraction, manufacturing, usage, and disposal.

Quantifying resource use

Easily measured water, energy, and waste production.

Pollutant effects

Assigning values to environmental impacts is subjective.

Selective LTA

Abbreviated assessments that may mislead in advertising.

Metal compounds

Substances containing metals, often targeted for extraction.

Ash from plants

Burned plant material containing concentrated metals.

Scrap iron

Used to extract metals from leachate solutions.

Energy savings from recycling

Less energy required than extracting new metals.

Waste metals

Recyclable materials that reduce environmental impact.

Environmental preservation

Recycling helps maintain natural resources and ecosystems.