Chemical Equilibrium Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to chemical equilibrium, including the reaction quotient, equilibrium constant, and multistep reactions.

Reaction Quotient (Q)

A measure of the relative amount of products and reactants present in a reaction at any given time. Used to predict the direction a reversible reaction will shift to reach equilibrium.

K (Equilibrium Constant)

The value of the reaction quotient when the reaction has reached equilibrium.

Q < K

The reaction will shift right, towards products, to reach equilibrium. Reactant heavy.

Q > K

The reaction will shift left, towards reactants, to reach equilibrium. Product heavy.

Q = K

The reaction is at equilibrium and will not shift.

Equilibrium Constant of a Multistep Reaction

The product of the individual equilibrium constants (K's) of each step in the reaction.