The Determination of an Equilibrium Constant

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The Determination of an Equilibrium Constant

Introduction:

PARTâ… : Theory

Many chemical reactions are irreversible reactions, for example, if

magnesium is burnt in air a brilliant white flame is observed as the

white powdery solid magnesium oxide is formed:

[IMAGE]2Mg(s) + O2(g) 2MgO(s)

We also say that the reaction goes to completion (as Fig. 1 shows),

and for practical purpose it is. Some apparently irreversible

reactions are reversible to such a small extent that we can ignore it.

[IMAGE]

[IMAGE] Concentration

[IMAGE]

Reaction stops when concentration reaches zero

[IMAGE]

[IMAGE] Time

Fig. 1

A reversible reaction is one that can take place in both directions

and so is incomplete (thus this symbol [IMAGE] is used). Take the

reaction between hydrogen and iodine for example:

H2(g) + I2(g) [IMAGE] 2HI(g)

0.5 moles of hydrogen gas and 0.5 moles of iodine gas react in sealed

glass bulbs and the temperature is kept constant at 445 °C. One may

assume that there would be 0.1 mole of hydrogen iodide present when

the reaction has completed but this is not the case. After 84 minutes,

there are only 0.78 moles of hydrogen iodide present. No matter how

much time elapsed after 84 minutes, the amounts of all three chemicals

were identical: the reaction has reached its equilibrium position

(Fig. 2).

[IMAGE][IMAGE] Equilibrium reached: no further changes

[IMAGE][IMAGE]Concentration

[IMAGE][IMAGE] Concentration of product

[IMAGE] Concentration of reactant

[IMAGE] Time

Fig. 2

However, it does not mean that the reaction has stopped. In fact both

the forward and the reverse reactions still continue, which is why we

use the term dynamic equilibrium:

When a reaction is in dynamic equilibrium, the forward and reverse

reactions are occurring at the same rate (Fig. 3).

[IMAGE][IMAGE] Forward rate Equilibrium reached

[IMAGE][IMAGE][IMAGE]Rate of

reaction

[IMAGE]

[IMAGE] Back rate

[IMAGE] Time

Fig. 3

Equilibrium is maintained only in a closed system, where there is no

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