Influence of Equilibria on

Synthesis
What is a Reversible Reaction
• When the products of a specific chemical change
can react to form the original substances, the
change is said to be reversible.
• The pair of reactions, the forward and the
reverse reaction, are referred to as two opposing
chemical changes.
What is Chemical Equilibrium?
• A system in which two opposing reactions are
proceeding at the same rate
• Results if conditions permit the opposing
reactions to occur at the same rate
The Importance of Chemical Equilibrium
• Most chemical reactions can come at a state of
equilibrium under the conditions necessary to
start the reaction.
Example
• A chemist or chemical engineer who is
concerned with the large-scale manufacture of a
useful compound is most interested in
minimizing the influence of the reverse reaction.
• The acidity (or alkalinity) of the blood is
maintained within very narrow limits by several
opposing chemical reactions.
Examples
• 3H2 + N2 → 2NH3; 2NH3 → 3H2 + N2
• 2H2 + O2 ↔ 2H2O
Recall
• Rate or Speed of a reaction
• Influence of the Nature of the Reactants
• Influence of Concentration
• Equilibrium Constant
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Catalyst
Rate of Reaction
• The amount of reactants converted to products
in a unit of time.
• Units used are Moles per liter
• Time: seconds, minutes, hours, and days
Influence of the Nature of the Reactants
• The influence of the nature or activity of
substances on the speed of reaction is apparent.
• In many reversible reactions, the tendency for
one of the opposing reactions to occur is much
greater than it is for the other.
• In these cases, we frequently ignore the slow
one, because it has an insignificant effect on the
amount of product obtained from the reaction
Influence of Temperature
• The speed of all chemical reacts is increased by
the an increase in temperature.
• The speed of different reactions is affected to a
different extent by temperature changes.
• It changes the relative proportions in an
equilibrium mixture.
Influence of Concentration
• In order that two or more molecules react, they
must come very close together or collide.
• A definite relationship exists between the rate of
a chemical reaction and the concentration of
there reactants.
• It is the law of mass action: The rate of a
chemical reaction is proportional to the
concentration of each of the reactants
Rate Constant
• Denoted by the letter “k”
• It signifies the magnitude for a given reaction at
a given temperature does not change.
Equilibrium Constant
• Denoted with the symbol “K”
• The numerical value of K does not change so
long as we are dealing with the same equilibrium
system at a given temperature.
Influence of Pressure
• The pressure of a gas is increased, the
concentration is proportionally increased.
• Pressure changes have a marked influence on
the speeds of reactions involving gases and
hence may influence an equilibrium system
made of gases.
• A change in pressure does not change the value
of the equilibrium constant
Influence of a Catalyst
• A catalyst is a substance that alters the speed of a
chemical reaction without itself undergoing a
permanent chemical change.
• Catalysts are usually employed to increase the
speed of the chemical reaction desired.
Energy Requirements
Le Chatelier’s Principle
• A prediction can be made if we know which
reaction is endothermic and which is
exothermic.
• Endothermic means heat is added to the system.
• Exothermic means heat is released from the
system.
Enthalpy: Change in Energy
• Latent Heat is the change in the phase of a
substance.
• Sensible Heat is the change in the temperature
of the substance.