Equlibrium

EQUILIBRIUM
Academic Success Center

Definition
• Equilibrium is a state where the concentrations
of the reactants and products no longer
change with time.
• This doesn’t mean there is no movement
between the molecules in the reaction.
• Imagine a leveling off effect : rate fwd = rate
reverse
• All reactions are reversible
Why It is Important
• Equilibrium can be used to tell which direction
a reaction will shift, towards the reactants or
towards the products.
• The amounts of products and reactants can

also be obtained through equilibrium
calculations.
Keq
• Keq is the equilibrium constant K
• It is a ratio of concentrations of products over
reactants. This is the concentrations at which
equilibrium is reached.
Example:
N2 + 3H2 2NH3
K=[NH3]2/[N2][H2]3
Product / Reactant
Keq
N2 + 3H2 2NH3
K = K=[NH3]2/[N2][H2]3
Notice the superscript 2 outside the [ ] of NH3

and the superscript 3 outside the [ ] of H2. This
is the coefficient in front of the product in the
equilibrium equation above.
K
• The magnitude of K can tell us how far a
reaction proceeds to the products at a given
temperature.
• Small K K = 2 x 10-28 yields little product before reaching equilibrium

• Large K K = 3.2 x 1025 has little reactants since the reaction goes to
completion
• Intermediate K K = 6 has amounts of both product and reactants after reaching
equilibrium
This is simply a spectrum of K values. The terms large, small and
intermediate are relative, because there is varying amount of products and
reactants depending on the given K value.
Reaction Quotient Q
• Similar to K – at equilibrium K = Q
• Q represents varying concentrations of reactants and
products.
Chemical equation: aA + bB  cC + dD
By rearranging products / reactants with coefficients as exponents we get the rxn
quotient:
Q = [C]c[D]d / [A]a[B]b
Example
CO2 + 4H2  CH4 + 2H2O

Q=[CH4][H2O]2/[H2]4[CO2]
Comparing Q and K
• Q < K Denominator [reactants] is larger than
numerator [products] Therefore reactants 
products since more product is needed for Q =
K. Think: what do I need to do to increase Q to
reach K?
Either decrease the denominator or increase the

numerator.  Favors Products
Comparing Q and K
• Q > K Large Numerator [products] / Small
denominator [reactants] – Therefore, in order
for Q = K favors reactants 
• Shift towards reactants since Q needs to
become smaller. Larger denominator = smaller
Q
EXAMPLE
• Gaseous CH4 and H2O were mixed in a 0.64L
flask at 1800K. At equilibrium, the flask
contains 0.36 mol of CO, 0.081 mol of H2 and
0.051 mol of CH4. What is the concentration of
[H2O] at equilibrium?
K = 0.28 for
CH4 + H2O  CO + 3H2
Solution
• First use the balanced equation to write the
reaction quotient.
CH4 + H2O  CO + 3H2
Rearranging to form products / reactants
would give us the Q (rxn quotient) used to
solve the problem
Q = [CO][H2]3 / [CH4][H2O]
Solution continued
• Values given in the problem: Volume of flask =
0.64 L, mol of CH4 = 0.051, mol of CO = 0.36,
mol of H2 = 0.081, K = 0.28
• Determine the concentrations with known
values.
[CH4] = 0.051 mol / 0.64 L = 0.080M
[CO] = 0.36 mol / 0.64 L = 0.56 M
[H2] = 0.081 mol / 0.64 L = 0.13 M
Solution continued
• Since Q = K at equilibrium we rearrange our
reaction quotient to solve for the
concentration of H2O
[H2O] = [CO][H2]3 / [CH4]K
[H2O] = (0.56M)(0.13M)3 / (0.051M)(0.28)
= 0.055 M
Example 2
• In one experiment, 2.00 mol of CH4, 2.00 mol
of CS2, 4.00 mol of H2S, and 4.00 mol of H2 are
mixed in a 500 mL vessel at 960K, at this
temperature K = 0.046 for the equation:
CH4 + 2H2S CS2 + 4H2
• What direction will the reaction proceed to
reach equilibrium?
Solution 2
• Use the balanced chemical equation to find
the reaction quotient.
CH4 + 2H2S CS2 + 4H2
Q = [CS2][H2]4 / [CH4][H2S]2
Solution 2 continued
• With known values, solve for Q and compare it
with K to see which direction moves towards
equilibrium.
• Known values: 2.00 mol of CH4, 2.00 mol of
CS2, 4.00 mol of H2S, 4.00 mol of H2, 500 mL
volume of flask, K = 0.046
[CH4] = 2.00 mol / 0.500 L = 4.00M
[CS2] = 2.00 mol / 0.500 L = 4.00M
[H2S] = 4.00 mol / 0.500 L = 8.00 M
[H2] = 4.00 mol / 0.500 L = 8.00 M
• Solve for Q by plugging in values.
Q = [CS2][H2]4 / [CH4][H2S]2
Q = (4.00)(8.00)4 / (4.00)(8.00)2
=64.0
Compare Q to K
64 > 0.046
Therefore Q is larger and the denominator [reactants] needs to be increased
or numerator [products] decreased in order for equilibrium to be reached.
FAVORS REACTANTS rxn goes to the left
Example 3
• In one experiment, 2.00 mol of CH4, 2.00 mol
of CS2, 4.00 mol of H2S, and 4.00 mol of H2 are
mixed in a 500 mL vessel at 960K, at this
temperature K = 0.046 for the equation:
CH4 + 2H2S CS2 + 4H2
• If [CH4] = 4.96M at equilibrium, what are the
equilibrium concentrations of the other
substances?
Solution 3
Concentration CH4+ 2H2S CS2 + 4H2
(M)
Initial
Change
Equilibrium
A reaction table should be set up in

order to see the changes that occur
when the reaction proceeds towards
equilbrium.
Solution 3
(M)
Initial 4.00 4.00 8.00 8.00
Change
Equilibrium
• Initial values are plugged in (values were

solved for in Example 2)
Solution 3
(M)
Initial 4.00 4.00 8.00 8.00
Change +x + 2x -X - 4x
Equilibrium 4 + x 4 + 2x 8 – x 8 – 4x
The positive change on the reactants side is because
we found that in Example 2, that the chemical
reaction reaches equilibrium by favoring the
reactants.
Note that change (x) is effected by the coefficients in
the chemical equation.
Solution 3. continued
• Solve for ‘x.’ Since the concentration of CH4 at
equilibrium is already known we can set up :
[CH4] = 4.96 M = 4.00M + x
x = 0.96 M
Now that ‘x’ is obtained, plug in the values in
order to solve for the equilibrium
concentration values of the rest of the
components.
[H2S] = 8.00M + 2x = 8.00 M + 2(0.96M)=9.92M
[CS2] = 4.00 M – x = 4.00 -0.96 M = 3.04M
[H2] = 8.00 M – 4x = 8.00 – 4(0.96M) =4.16M
Further Look
• What happens to the chemical reaction if
products and reactants are added and
removed?
CH4 + 2H2S  CS2 + 4 H2
What happens if the concentration of CH4 is

increased?
Adding/Removing Products/Reactants
Shortcut: Which ever side increases in amount, the
reaction will shift away from in order to reach
equilibrium.
Similarly, which ever side decreases in amount the

reaction will shift towards in order to reach
equilibrium.
CH4 + 2H2S  CS2 + 4 H2
Example: If H2S is lowered then the reaction shift towards the
reactants. If CS2 is increased, the reaction will also shift towards the
reactants.
Adding/Removing continued
• H2S + O2   2S + 2H2O
a) What happens if the amount of S is raised?

b) What happens if the amount of H2O is
lowered?
The next step should be analyzing Le Chatelier’s

principles.
Problems
• The formation of HI is:
H2 + I2  2HI
H2 and I2 were placed in a container and allowed

to reach equilibrium at a certain temperature.
At equilibrium the concentration of H2 = 6.50 x
10-5 , I2 is 1.06 x 10-3, and HI concentration is
1.87 x 10-3. What is the Keq?
Problems
• At 2000K, Keq=4.10X10-4 for the equation N2 +
O2  2NO
What is the concentration of NO when a mixture

of 0.20 mol N2 and 0.15 mol of O2 reach
equilibrium in a 1.0 L container?

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EQUILIBRIUM

Academic Success Center

• The amounts of products and reactants can

Notice the superscript 2 outside the [ ] of NH3

• Small K K = 2 x 10-28 yields little product before reaching equilibrium

CO2 + 4H2  CH4 + 2H2O

Either decrease the denominator or increase the

A reaction table should be set up in

• Initial values are plugged in (values were

CH4 + 2H2S  CS2 + 4 H2

What happens if the concentration of CH4 is

Similarly, which ever side decreases in amount the

a) What happens if the amount of S is raised?

The next step should be analyzing Le Chatelier’s

H2 and I2 were placed in a container and allowed

What is the concentration of NO when a mixture

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