|
Doc
Brown's Chemistry
Theoretical-Physical
Advanced Level
Chemistry - Equilibria - Chemical Equilibrium Revision Notes PART 1
1. Dynamic molecular chemical equilibrium and Le Chatelier's principle
What is a dynamic
equilibrium? How does Le Chatelier's Principle help us predict the shift
in equilibrium position on change of temperature, change in
concentration or change in pressure? What effect does a catalyst have on
the position of an equilibrium?
KS4 Science GCSE/IGCSE reversible reactions
& chemical equilibrium notes
Part 1 sub-index: 1.1 Reversible reactions *
1.2 The equilibrium concept * 1.3 Le
Chatelier's Principle - equilibrium rules * 1.4
Applying the equilibrium rules
*
Advanced Equilibrium Chemistry Notes: Part 2. Kc and Kp equilibrium expressions and
calculations * Part 3. Equilibria and
industrial processes * Part 4. Partition,
solubility product and ion-exchange * Part 5. pH, weak-strong
acid-base theory and calculations * Part 6.
Salt hydrolysis,
Acid-base titrations-indicators, pH curves and buffers * Part 7.
Redox equilibria, half-cell electrode potentials,
electrolysis and electrochemical series
*
Part 8. Phase equilibria-vapour
pressure, boiling point and intermolecular forces
1.1
Reversible Reactions
- A reversible reaction is a chemical
change in which the products can be converted back to the original reactants under suitable conditions. A reversible reaction is shown by the sign
,
a half-arrow to the right (forward reaction, L to R), and, a half-arrow to the
left (backward reaction, R to L).
- Reactions which are not reversible (irreversible)
have the usual complete arrow
only pointing to the right.
-
Example 1.1.1 On heating strongly, the white solid, ammonium chloride,
thermally decomposes into a mixture of two colourless gases,
ammonia and hydrogen chloride. On cooling the reaction is reversed and solid ammonium chloride reforms. This is also
an example of
sublimation and involves both a physical of state as well as a chemical change.
When a substance sublimes it changes directly from a solid into a gas without melting
and on cooling reforms the solid without condensing to form a liquid.
+ heat
ammonia + hydrogen chloride
-
NH4Cl(s)
NH3(g) + HCl(g)
-
Note: Reversing the reaction conditions reverses the direction of chemical change, typical of a reversible reaction.
-
Thermal decomposition means using 'heat' to 'break down' a molecule into smaller ones. The
decomposition of NH4Cl is endothermic, ΔH +ve (heat absorbed, taken in
from the surroundings) and the formation of NH4Cl is exothermic,
ΔH -ve (heat released, given out to the surroundings).
- This means if the direction of chemical change is reversed, the energy change
sign must also be reversed but its numerical value stays the same.
Example 1.1.2 On heating the blue solid, hydrated copper(II) sulphate, steam is given off and the white solid of anhydrous copper(II) sulphate is formed. When the white solid is cooled and water added, blue hydrated copper(II) sulphate is reformed.+ heat
white anhydrous copper(II) sulphate +
water
CuSO4.5H2O(s)
CuSO4(s) + 5H2O(g)
Note: The crystal structure is broken down on
heating and the water of crystallisation is given off. Thermal decomposition is endothermic
(ΔH +ve) as
heat is absorbed to drive off the water. The reverse reaction is exothermic
(ΔH +ve) i.e. on adding water to cold white anhydrous copper(II) sulphate the mixture heats
up as the blue crystals reform.
- These are typical examples you
encounter at an earlier study level, but it begs the question, "is it
possible to have a situation, under suitable conditions, in which the reaction
does not completely go in one direction or the other and both reactants and
products co-exist?", and the answer is yes! and the situation is called a
dynamic chemical equilibrium. The word dynamic is used because the
'forward' (L to R) and 'backward' (R to L) reactions do not cease but
match each other in rate so the concentrations of reactants and
products are constant when the equilibrium is established.

1.2 Reversible reactions and
the concept of a dynamic chemical equilibrium
- Although most reactions you
have encountered at an earlier academic level did go to 100%
completion, it is a fact that many reactions do NOT go to completion
i.e. 100% yield from the forward reaction.
- If ammonium chloride were heated in a
closed system, over a certain temperature range, some of the NH4Cl
will be sublimed into the gases NH3 and HCl and some of the solid
salt remains.
- A closed system means nothing can
enter or leave the system.
- When a reversible reaction occurs in a
closed system, depending on conditions, a chemical equilibrium is formed, in which the
original reactants and products formed coexist. In other words
the reaction (i.e. from left to right as the equation is written)
never goes to completion.
- Eventually the 'system settles down'
and the net concentrations of the reactants and products remain constant
i.e. a state of concentration balance exists.
- BUT the reactions don't stop!
Reactants are continually forming products, and the products are continually
re-forming the original reactants, hence the term dynamic equilibrium.
- In terms of kinetics
('rates of reaction'), it means that the
- rate of formation of
product = rate of re-formation of reactants,
- or the rate of the forward
reaction = rate of the backward reaction
-
Example 1.2.1 The formation/decomposition of hydrogen iodide.
- hydrogen + iodine
hydrogen iodide (2 mol gas ==> 2 mol gas)
- H2(g) + I2(g)
2HI(g) (all gases above 200oC)
- L to R forward reaction:
If you start with
pure hydrogen and pure iodine, so much of them combines to form hydrogen iodide.
- R to L backward reaction:
If you start with
pure hydrogen iodide, some, but not all of it, will decompose into hydrogen
and iodine.
- Starting with the same total
number of moles of either H2 + I2 or HI, the
final equilibrium concentrations will be the same at the same
temperature, volume and pressure. This is illustrated in the
diagram below showing the fate of 2 mol of reacting gases.
-

- Graph lines (1) and (2) show what happens if
you start with 2.0 mol of pure hydrogen iodide which
decomposes 50%, for the sake of argument and mathematical simplicity, into hydrogen and iodine.
- Graph line (1) shows the gradual
50% reduction of HI from 2 mol to 1 mol.
- Graph line (2) shows the gradual
formation, from 0 mol of each, of 0.5 mol H2 and 0.5 mol I2.
- Graph lines (3) and (4) show what happens if
you start with 1.0 mol of hydrogen plus 1.0 mol of iodine and no
hydrogen iodide.
- Graph line (3) shows the 50%
reduction of 1.0 mol of H2 or I2 to 0.5 mol of
each.
- Graph line (4) shows the formation
of 1.0 mol of HI from the net reaction of 0.5 mol H2 and
0.5 mol I2.
-
Note:
- The final equilibrium
composition is the same in each case no matter which direction you
started from for the same total moles of gas.
- Where the graph lines
first become horizontal, meaning no further net change in
concentration, the equilibrium point was first reached i.e.
here, after about 32 minutes.
-
See also Kc expression
and application of Le Chatelier's Principle
-
Example 1.2.2 The formation
and hydrolysis of the ester ethyl ethanoate.
- ethanoic acid + ethanol
ethyl ethanoate + water (hydrolysis <==> esterification)
- CH3COOH(l) +
CH3CH2OH(l)
CH3COOCH2CH3(l)
+ H2O(l)
- L to R forward reaction: If equimolar
amounts of pure ethanoic acid and pure ethanol are refluxed with a few drops of conc. H2SO4(l)
catalyst, about 2/3rds of the initial reactants are converted into the ester.
- The forward or backward
reactions are slow at room temperature without heating and employing
a catalyst, but equilibrium would eventually be reached at room
temperature even in the absence of a catalyst.
- R to L backward reaction: If equimolar
amounts of pure ethyl ethanoate and pure water are mixed, eventually about
1/3rd of the ester reverts back to ethanoic acid and ethanol.
- Note: If the ester is refluxed with
lots of acidified water, the ester
is 100% hydrolysed back to the original acid and alcohol.
-
See also Equilibria Part 2 Kc expressions
-
Example 1.2.3 The
formation/decomposition of ammonia.
-
Some important outcomes from
experimentally studying dynamic equilibrium reactions
- It doesn't matter whether you start
with the 'reactants' or the 'products', either way, if the
conditions are suitable, both are present when a state of equilibrium
exists.
- Eventually the net concentrations of the reactants and products remain the
same BUT the forward and backward reactions don't stop.
- When a dynamic equilibrium
is achieved
there is a state of balance between the constant concentrations of the reactants and
products because the rate at which the reactants change into products is exactly equal to the rate at which the products change back to the original reactants.
- However, the actual relative amounts of the
original reactants left, and products formed, at equilibrium, depend on the
particular reaction and reaction conditions
e.g. the initial concentrations, temperature and pressure (if gaseous reactants or
products are involved) and the value of the equilibrium constant (see on
this page
Le Chatelier's Principle
below and Equilibria Part 2).
- A catalyst does not affect the
position of the equilibrium, i.e. the final constant concentrations are
the same with or without a catalyst, you
simply get to the equilibrium point faster with a catalyst!
- In some cases you
can adjust reaction conditions sufficiently to make the reaction go virtually 100% in one direction e.g.
example 1.2.2, the hydrolysis of an ester.
- At a given constant
temperature, all the final equilibrium concentrations are
mathematically governed
by the equilibrium expression and the equilibrium constant and
these are dealt with in detail in
Equilibria Part 2.

1.3
Le Chatelier's Principle

1.4
Applying Le
Chatelier's Principle and the equilibrium rules

WHAT NEXT?
Part 1 sub-index: 1.1 Reversible reactions *
1.2 The equilibrium concept * 1.3 Le
Chatelier's Principle - equilibrium rules * 1.4
Applying the equilibrium rules
*
Advanced Equilibrium Chemistry Notes: Part 2. Kc and Kp equilibrium expressions and
calculations * Part 3. Equilibria and
industrial processes * Part 4. Partition,
solubility product and ion-exchange * Part 5. pH, weak-strong
acid-base theory and calculations * Part 6.
Salt hydrolysis,
Acid-base titrations-indicators, pH curves and buffers * Part 7.
Redox equilibria, half-cell electrode potentials,
electrolysis and electrochemical series
*
Part 8. Phase equilibria-vapour
pressure, boiling point and intermolecular forces
A level Revision notes for GCE Advanced
Subsidiary Level AS Advanced Level A2 IB
Revise AQA GCE Chemistry OCR GCE Chemistry Edexcel GCE Chemistry Salters
Chemistry CIE Chemistry, WJEC GCE AS A2 Chemistry, CCEA/CEA GCE AS A2 Chemistry revising courses for pre-university students
(equal to US grade 11 and grade 12 and AP Honours/honors level courses)

 Website
content copyright © Dr W P Brown 2000-2011 All rights reserved
on
revision notes, puzzles, quizzes, worksheets, x-words etc. * Copying of website
material is not permitted * I do not personally endorse the adverts -
but they do pay for the site!
Alphabetical Index for Science
Pages Content
A
B C D
E F
G H I J K L M
N O P
Q R
S T
U V W
X Y Z |