Equilibrium and Concentration

Vocabulary: chemical equilibrium, concentration, equilibrium, equilibrium constant,

reaction  quotient, reversible reaction 

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)  

[Note: The purpose of these questions is to activate prior knowledge and get students
thinking.  Students are not expected to know the answers to the Prior Knowledge Questions.] 

Gary has $5,000 in his bank account and earns a modest salary. Every month he pays for
rent,  food, utilities, and entertainment.  

A. How will Gary’s account change if he saves more than he spends? It will increase.

B. How will Gary’s account change if he spends more than he saves? It will

decrease. C. What happens if Gary spends exactly as much as he saves? It will stay

the same. 

Gizmo Warm-up 
If Gary spends exactly as much as he earns, his savings will  
be in equilibrium. Equilibrium occurs when two opposing  
processes occur at the same rate, leading to no net change.  
In the Equilibrium and Concentration Gizmo™, you will  
investigate how equilibrium can occur in chemical reactions.  

To begin, check that Reaction 1 is selected. Set Moles NO2 

to 8 and Moles N O to 0.  
2 4

1. Click Play ( ) and observe the colliding molecules. What do you notice?  Sample answer:

The molecules move and collide. Occasionally there is a blue or red flash.  

In the Gizmo, a blue flash appears every time two reactants combine to form a product.
A  red flash appears every time a product dissociates into reactants.  

2. Click Reset ( ), and set Moles NO to 0 and Moles N O to 8. Click Play.  

2 2 4
 What do you notice now? Sample answer: At first, there are more red flashes than
blue  flashes. 

3. When a reaction can proceed in either direction, it is a reversible reaction. Based on what 
you have observed, is the synthesis of NO into N O a reversible reaction? Explain.  
2 2 4

I know the synthesis of NO into N O is a reversible reaction because both the forward 
2 2 4

reaction (blue flashes) and the reverse reaction (red flashes) are observed. 
Activity A:   Get the Gizmo ready:  
Reversible   • Click Reset. Reaction 1 should be selected.  • Set
reactions  Moles NO to 8 and Moles N O to 0.  • Move the Sim.
2 2 4

speed slider all the way to the right. 

Question: What are the characteristics of reversible reactions? 

1. Predict: Suppose you began with 8 moles of NO in the chamber. What do you think will 
2

happen if you let the reaction go for a long time? Predictions will vary. 

2. Test: Click Play. Select the BAR CHART tab and check that Moles is selected. Observe the  bar
chart for about 30 seconds. As time goes by, what do you notice about the bars  representing
moles NO and moles N O ?  
2 2 4

After a while, the bars don’t move as much as at first.  

3. Observe: Click Pause ( ). Select the GRAPH tab. Click the (–) zoom control on the 
horizontal axis until you can see the whole graph. What do you notice?  

At first, the amounts of NO and N O change rapidly. After a while the amounts do not 
2 2 4

change as much.  

This situation, in which the overall amounts of reactants and products does not
change  significantly over time, is called a chemical equilibrium.  

4. Record: On the BAR CHART tab, turn on Show data values. How many moles of NO and  2

N O are there right now? Moles NO ~4.0 Moles N O ~2.0 [Exact values will vary.] 
2 4 2 2 4

5. Calculate: Suppose all the NO molecules were synthesized into N O . Given the equation 
2 2 4

2NO ⇌ N O , how many moles of N O would be produced? 4 moles of N O4 

2 2 4 2 4 2
6. Experiment: Click Reset. On the INITIAL SETTINGS tab, set Moles NO to 0 and Moles  N O
2 2 4

to 4. Click Play. Click Pause when the bars of the bar chart stop moving very much.  

A. List the current amounts of each substance: Moles NO ~4.0 Moles N O ~2.0 B.
2 2 4

How do these results compare to starting with 8 moles of NO ?   2

The resulting amounts of NO and N O in this experiment are very similar to the 
2 2 4

results obtained when starting with 8 moles NO and 0 moles N O .  

2 2 4

(Activity A continued on next page)

  
Activity A (continued from previous page) 

7. Summarize: In each trial, you started with the same amounts of nitrogen and oxygen. In this 
situation, did the equilibrium amounts change depending on the direction of the reaction?    
The equilibrium amounts were about the same in both situations.  

8. Set up the Gizmo: Click Reset and select the EXPERIMENT tab on the left. On the INITIAL 
SETTINGS tab on the right, select Reaction 2. Set Moles NO to 5, Moles NO to 5, and  2

Moles N O to 0. What are the reactants and product of this reaction?  

2 3

Reactants: NO NO Product: N O3 

2 2

(Note: In this reaction, some of the NO reactants combine to form N O , as in reaction 1.)  
2 2 4

9. Observe: Recall that a blue flash appears every time two reactants combine to form a 
product. A red flash appears every time a product dissociates into reactants. Click Play.  

A. At first, do you notice more blue flashes or red flashes? Blue flashes 

B. What do you notice about the frequency of blue and red flashes as time goes by? 

After a while, the frequency of blue and red flashes is about the same.  

C. Click Reset. This time, start the experiment with 0 moles of NO and NO and 5  moles 2

of N O . Click Play. What do you notice about the red and blue flashes now?  
2 3

At first, there are more red flashes than blue flashes. Later, the frequencies are even.  

10. Explain: Think about how the numbers of blue and red flashes reflect the rates of
the  forward (reactants 🡪 products) and reverse (products 🡪 reactants) reactions.  

A. What happens to the rate of the forward reaction as the reactants are consumed? 

The rate of the forward reaction decreases as reactants are consumed.  

 B. What happens to the rate of the reverse reaction as the products are produced? 

The rate of the reverse reaction increases as products are produced.  

C. Why do reversible reactions always result in chemical equilibria?  

Sample answer: Chemical equilibrium occurs when the rates of the forward and 
reverse reactions are equal. If there is an excess of reactants, the forward reaction 
will occur more quickly than the reverse reaction until there is no longer an excess
of  reactants. At this point the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal
and  equilibrium is reached. The same thing occurs when there is an excess of
products. 

  
Activity B:   Get the Gizmo ready:  
The equilibrium  • Click Reset. Select Reaction 1.  
constant  • Set Moles NO to 2 and Moles N O
2 2 4

to 7. 

Introduction: When investigating the rates of reactions, it often is useful to consider the 
concentrations of reactants rather than the total number of moles. Concentrations are often 
expressed in moles per liter, or mol/L. Brackets are used to signify concentration. For
example,  “[H ] = 5.0 M” means the concentration of hydrogen gas in a chamber is 5.0 moles
2

per liter.  

Question: What are the characteristics of reactions in equilibrium? 

1. Record: On the BAR CHART tab, select Concentration. Check that Show data values is  on.
If necessary, use the arrows to adjust the scale of the chart.  

A. What are the current concentrations of each compound?  

[NO ] 4.00 M [N O ] 14.00 M  

2 2 4

Note: “M” is equivalent to “mol/L”  

B. Click Play and wait for equilibrium to become established. Click Pause. What are the 
approximate equilibrium concentrations?  

[NO ] ~12 M [N O ] ~6 M 
2 2 4

2. Calculate: The value K represents the ratio of products to reactants in a reaction at equilibrium.
c

The greater the amount of products relative to reactants, the higher the resulting  value of K .
c

For a general reaction between gases: aA(g) + bB(g) ⇌ cC(g) + dD(g), K is  calculated as
c

follows:  
 c d 
[C] [D]
= 
Kc [A] [B] 
a b 

For the current reaction, 2NO ⇌ N O , we have:  

2 2 4

  
[N O ]
K =  c

2 4 

[NO ] 2 
2 

Based on the current concentrations of NO and N O , what is K ? ~0.042 2 2 4 c

[N O ] 6.0 0.042 

Show your work here: 24

2 2 
K = == 
c

[NO ] 12.0 
2 

[Note: The value of K may vary from 0.025 to 0.065. This variation occurs because
c

the  Gizmo model uses a limited number of molecules.]  

(Activity B continued on next page)

  
Activity B (continued from previous page) 

3. Gather data: Experiment with a variety of initial concentrations of NO and N O . For each  set of 2 2 4

initial concentrations, use the Gizmo to determine the equilibrium concentrations of  each
substance. In the last column, find K for that trial. Run three trials for each set of initial 
c

conditions.  
Initial   Initial   Equilibrium   Equilibrium   Kc
[NO ] 
2 [N O ] 
2 4 [NO ]  2 [N O ] 2 4

Chosen Chosen Values will Values will ~0.042 

by   by   vary  vary 
student  student 

Chosen Chosen Values will vary  Values will ~0.042

by   by   vary 
student student 
 Chosen Chosen Values will vary  Values will ~0.042
by   by   vary 
student student 

4. Calculate: Find the average value of K for each set of three trials. Check calculations. Trials 1-3:
c

__________ Trials 4-6: __________ Trials 7-9: __________  

5. Analyze: What do you notice about the values of K ?   c

No matter what initial concentrations are chosen, the value of K stays relatively constant.  c

In general, the value of K will be constant for a given reaction at a constant temperature,
c

no  matter the starting concentrations. That is why K is known as the equilibrium
c

constant. In  this Gizmo, the values of K will vary somewhat because there is a very limited
c

number of  molecules in the chamber.  

6. On your own: Use the Gizmo to find K for Reaction 4: H + I ⇌ 2HI. Collect data at least  10
c 2 2

times and average your results to get the best approximation of K . Show your data and  work c

on a separate sheet of paper.  

(Hint: Because of the coefficient “2” in front of HI, you will have to square the
concentration  of HI to find K .)  
c

K = ~40 [Check student work. For this reaction, you can expect values of K to vary 
c c

between 20 and 60.]

  
7. 

Activity C:   Get the Gizmo ready:  

Reaction • Click Reset. Check that Reaction 4 is selected.  •
direction  Set Moles H to 5, Moles I to 5, and Moles HI  to
2 2

3. 

Introduction: For a reversible reaction with equilibrium constant K , it often is useful to know c

in  which direction the reaction will proceed given the starting amounts of reactants A and B
and  products C and D. This is done by calculating the reaction quotient, Q :   c

c d 
[C] [D]
= 
Qc [A] [B] 
a b 
 Question: How can you predict the direction of a reversible reaction?  1. List: Select

the BAR CHART tab. What are the initial concentrations of each substance?  [H ] 9.23 M [I ] 2 2

9.23 M [HI] 5.54 M  

2. Calculate: Use the equation above to find Q for the current reaction.  A.
c

What is the current value of Q ? 0.36 c

B. In activity B, what value of K did you arrive at for this reaction? ~40 [Check student 
c

results] 

C. How does Q compare to K ? Q is less than K . 

c c c c

3. Analyze: Recall that Q is equal to the ratio of product concentrations to reactant 

c

concentrations.  

A. If there is an excess of products, will Q be greater than or less than K ? Greater

c c

B. If there is an excess of reactants, will Q be greater than or less than K ? Less C.

c c

In the current situation, is there an excess of products or reactants? Reactants

Explain: Q is less than K , so there is an excess of reactants. 

c c

D. When the reaction begins, do you expect [HI] to increase or decrease? Increase 

Explain: There is an excess of reactants. HI is a product, so it will increase as

the  reaction proceeds. 

4. Test: Click Play. What happens to [HI]?  

[HI] increases. [Note: [HI] may decrease in the first instant but will eventually increase.] 

  
Extension:   Get the Gizmo ready:  
Equilibrium   • Click Reset. Select Reaction 1.  
calculations  • Set Moles NO to 0 and Moles N O to 6. 
2 2 4

Goal: Given K and initial concentrations, calculate equilibrium concentrations.  1. List:

c

Select the BAR CHART. What is the initial concentration N O ? [N O ] 2 4 2 4 initial = 18.00 M 
 2. Experiment: Click Play and wait for a few seconds. Click Pause before equilibrium is 
reached.  
Note: Student results will vary. Sample answers are shown to illustrate the relationship. 

A. What is the current concentration of N O ? [N O ] = 11.93 M  2 4 2 4

B. How much has the concentration of N O gone down? 6.07 M  2 4

C. What is the current concentration of NO ? [NO ] = 6.07 M  2 2

D. In general, if [N O ] is reduced by x, how much does [NO ] increase? x 

2 4 2

This result may be surprising. It is true because at constant pressure, the overall 
density of particles in the container remains constant. So, if the concentration of
one  substance is reduced by x, the concentration of the other substance increases
by x.  

c d 
[C] [D]
= .  
3. Manipulate: Begin with the general equation for K : c ab  
Kc [A] [B] 
[N O ] 
O ⇌NO? K =
2 2 4 c
24
2 [NO ] 
2 

B. In this experiment, the initial concentration of NO is zero. If the concentration of  N O is 2 2 4

reduced by x at equilibrium, the equilibrium concentration of NO is equal to  x. 2

Substitute the following values into the equation you wrote in step A:  

[N O ] = ([N O ]
2 4 2 4 initial – x) [NO ] = x   2

− 
[N O ] x 
initial

 K =c
24
2 
x 
C. In activity A, you discovered that K for this reaction was close to 0.042. Substitute  this
c

value and the initial concentration of N O into your equation.   2 4

18.00 x 

0.042 = x 
2

− 

D. Rearrange the terms of your equation to form a quadratic equation in the form 
ax + bx + c = 0.  
2

0.042 x + x – 18.00 = 0  2

(Extension continued on next page)

   
Extension (continued from previous page)  

4. Solve: Because the equation is in the form ax + bx + c = 0, you can use the quadratic  formula
2

(shown below) to solve for x. Ignore negative solutions because the concentrations  cannot be
negative. Show your work.  

x 2− ±−
2 4 = a = 0.042, b = 1, c = -18.00  
b b ac 
a 

2
1 1 4 0.042 ( 18.0) 1 1 3.024 1 4.024 1 2.006 11.98 x− ± − ⋅ ⋅− −± + −± −+ = = = == ⋅ 2 0.042 0.084
0.084 0.084 

5. Predict: Based on the value for x, what do you expect the equilibrium concentrations of NO2
and N O to be?  
2 4

 [NO ] 11.98 M [N O ] 6.02 M  

2 2 4

[N O ]
K = K = 0.042 
c c

2 4 
Check your work by solving for K using c  
2

[NO ] 
2 

If you don’t get the correct value of K , recheck your work.  

c

6. Test: Click Play and wait for equilibrium to be established. What are the actual equilibrium 
values of each substance?  

Sample results: [NO ] 12.18 M [N O ] 5.82 M  

2 2 4

How close were these results to your predicted results? Answers will vary.  [Results

should be relatively close to predicted results given the variation in the Gizmo.]  

7. Challenge: Suppose you begin with 6 moles of NO and 5 moles of N O . Assuming a value  for
2 2 4

K of 0.042, predict the equilibrium concentrations of NO and N O . (Use the Gizmo to 
c 2 2 4

determine the initial concentrations.) Show your work on a separate sheet of paper. After  you
have made your predictions, click Play and record the experimental results.  

Predicted: [NO ] 11.98 M [N O ] 6.02 M  

2 2 4

Experimental: [NO ] Answers will vary [N O ] Answers will vary  

2 2 4

[Solution is shown on next page.]

  
Initial concentrations: [NO ] = 9.82 M, [N O ] = 8.18 M  x x x KOx x x
2 2 4

x 

− − − == = = + + + + [N O ] 8.18 8.18 0.042[N ] 9.82 96.4324 19.64 

initial 
c 
2 4 
22 2 

( ) ( ) 
2 
initial 

2
0.042(96.4324 19.64 ) 8.18 + += − x x x  

2
4.050 0.825 0.042 8.18 + + =− x x x 

2
0.042 1.825 4.13 0 x x + −= 

a = 0.042, b = 1.825, c = -4.13  

Using the quadratic formula, we have:  

2
1.825 1.825 4 0.042 ( 4.13) 1.825 3.331 0.694 x− ± − ⋅ ⋅− −± + = = ⋅ 2
0.042 0.084 
−± −+
= == 
1.825 4.025 1.825 2.006
2.16 
0.084 0.084 

Recall the initial concentrations: [NO ] = 9.82 M, [N O ] = 8.18

2 2 4

M  If x = 2.16, then:  

Equilibrium [NO ] = 9.82 + 2.16 = 11.98 M  

2

Equilibrium [N O ] = 8.18 – 2.16 = 6.02 M 

2 4