Skip to content
AP Chemistry
  • Pages
    • Class
      • Laboratory report rubric
      • Notes
        • 1. Chemical foundations
        • 2. Atoms, molecules, and ions
        • 3. Stoichiometry
        • 4. Types of chemical reactions and solution stoichiometry
        • 5. Gases
        • 6. Thermochemistry
        • 7. Atomic structure and periodicity
        • 8. Bonding: general concepts
        • 9. Covalent bonding: orbitals
        • 10. Liquids and solids
        • 11. Properties of solutions
        • 12. Chemical kinetics
        • 13. Chemical equilibrium
        • 14. Acids and bases
        • 15. Acid-base equilibria
        • 16. Solubility and complex ion equilibria
        • 17. Spontaneity, entropy, free energy
        • 18. Electrochemistry
      • Drug unit
        • Basics
        • Analgesics
        • Antacids
        • Anesthetics
        • Depressants
        • Stimulants
        • Antibiotics
        • Antiviral drugs
        • Mind-altering drugs
    • Textbook (incomplete)
      • 1. Chemical foundations
      • 2. Atoms, molecules, and ions
      • 3. Stoichiometry
      • 4. Types of chemical reactions and solution stoichiometry
      • 5. Gases
      • 6. Thermochemistry
      • 7. Atomic structure and periodicity
      • 8. Bonding: general concepts
    • CED
      • 1. Atomic structure and properties
      • 2. Compound structure and properties
      • 3. Properties of substances and mixtures
      • 4. Chemical reactions
      • 5. Kinetics
      • 6. Thermochemistry
      • 7. Equilibrium
      • 8. Acids and bases
      • 9. Thermodynamics and electrochemistry

13. Chemical equilibrium

Equilibrium

equilibrium: concentrations of the reactants and products are not changing
chemical reaction is balanced
reversible reaction: arrow points both directions (⇋)
e.g.
reaction can go in either direction
image.png
forward reaction: up to down, left to right
reverse reaction: down to up, right to left
at equilibrium:
concentrations are constant
reaction rates are the same

Equilibrium constant

equilibrium constant: K or K_{eq}
[x] means concentration
example:
K > 1: more products than reactants at equilibrium
K < 1: more reactants than products at equilibrium
can also use with pressure
still use powers, etc. for ratios
example:
concentrations at equilibrium:
calculate K
if the equation is flipped, use the reciprocal
if the coefficients all change by the same ratio, take K to that power (e.g. multiply all coefficients by 2 → K = K²)
example: find K for
cannot do concentration or pressure for a solid or liquid
assume the concentration or pressure is 1

Determining equilibrium

reaction quotient (Q): like K but not at equilibrium
Q = K: at equilibrium
Q > K
more products than at equilibrium
reaction shifts left
reaction wants to go right to left to make more reactants
Q < K:
more reactants than at equilibrium
reaction shifts right
reaction wants to go left to right to make more products
example:
at 500℃:
what direction will the reaction shift if:
Q > K so reaction shifts left
a really high concentration of one reactant will break equilibrium

Le Châtelier’s Principle

le Châtelier’s Principle: if you “stress” a reaction at equilibrium, the reaction will adjust to return to equilibrium
analogy: seesaw
stays equal if both sides are equally weighted
if one side has more children, it will tip down
can only add children, not take away
fulcrum: arrows
children: reactants/products
add H₂: reaction shifts right (products)
add H₂O: reaction shifts left (reactants)
remove O₂: reaction shifts left (reactants)
remove H₂O: reaction shifts right (products)
add heat: reaction shifts right (endothermic)
reduce heat: reaction shifts left (endothermic)
increase pressure: reaction shifts right (fewer molecules on right; try to decrease pressure)
decrease pressure: reaction shifts left (more molecules on left; try to increase pressure)
add catalyst: nothing happens (at equilibrium)

 
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ··· in the right corner or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.