EQUILIBRIUM REACTIONS

Module 5
 CHEMICAL REACTIONS

• Chemical reactions are represents by chemical equations.

•A+BC+D
• This represents an irreversible reaction that goes to
completion.
• Reactants will keep reacting to produce products until one or
all the reactants in the system are used up (limiting reactant).
 REACTION TO COMPLETION

• 2H2 (g) + O2 (g)  2H2O(l)

• In system with the correct ratio of reactants would
react together to form the product.
• At the completion of the reaction there would be
nothing but products left in the system.
 CAKE ANALOGY

• Irreversible reactions can be related to baking a cake.

• The ingredients are the reactants and when mixed and
baked together form a cake, which is the product.
• The cake can not be reversed back into the reactants
i.e. eggs, flour, milk etc.
• This is the same as irreversible reactions, where the
products of the reaction can not be converted back
into the reactants.
 DO ALL REACTIONS GO TO
COMPLETION?

• So far chemistry has told us that reactions go to

completion, but this is not always the case.
• Some reactions are reversible and therefore go in
both directions
• A + B  C + D and C+DA+B

•A+B⇌C+D (⇌ represents a reversible reaction)

EXAMPLES OF IRREVERSIBLE
REACTIONS

• Heat Mg ribbon in a Bunsen

burner
Mg(s) + O2(g) → MgO(s)

• Pass electricity through steel

wool
4Fe(s) + 3O2(g) → 2Fe2O3(s)
 REVERSIBLE REACTIONS

decompositi
N2O4(g)  2NO2(g) on
Forward
2NO2(g)  N2O4(g) reaction
N2O4 NO2
Reverse
N2O4(g) ⇌ 2NO2(g)
reaction

reforms
 REVERSIBLE REACTIONS

decompositi
N2O4(g)  2NO2(g) on
Forward
2NO2(g)  N2O4(g) reaction
N2O4 NO2
Reverse
N2O4(g) ⇌ 2NO2(g)
reaction

reforms
 REVERSIBLE REACTIONS

decompositi
N2O4(g)  2NO2(g) on
Forward
2NO2(g)  N2O4(g) reaction
N2O4 NO2
Reverse
N2O4(g) ⇌ 2NO2(g)
reaction

reforms
 REVERSIBLE REACTIONS

decompositi
• The forward reaction is faster
on
than the reverse reaction to
begin with but as the N2O4 is Forward
used up it slows down. reaction
Eventually the reactions will N2O4 NO2
be at the same rates and Reverse
when the forward reaction reaction
equals the reverse reaction
we have achieved equilibrium.
reforms
 REVERSIBLE REACTIONS

decompositi
• Using up the reactants will on
slow down the forward Forward
reaction. reaction
• When the rates of the N2O4 NO2
forward and reverse Reverse
reactions will be equal but reaction
opposite, there isn’t going
to be any observable reforms
change in the system.
 EQUILIBRIUM REACTION

• A state of equilibrium exists when there is no net change in

the concentration of species in the system.
• Forward reaction = reverse reaction
• Although no visible reaction may be occurring the reaction
is still occurring at a molecular level with equal and
opposing rates.
• There are two different types of equilibrium:
• Static equilibrium
• Dynamic equilibrium
 EQUILIBRIUM

• Equilibrium systems consists of two reversible reactions

occurring at the same time.
• At equilibrium, the rate of the reactants reacting to form
products is the same as the rate of the products reacting
to form the reactants.
• The concentration of reactants and products stay
constant, but not necessarily equal to each other.
 STATIC EQUILIBRIUM

• Static equilibrium occurs when all particles in the

reaction are at rest and there is no motion between
reactants and products.
• When all of the reactant particles remain as reactants
and all of the products remain as products.
• Reaction rate of zero ”0”
 STATIC EQUILIBRIUM EXAMPLE

• Graphite turning into diamond is considered at static

equilibrium after it occurs because there are no more
forces acting upon the reactants (graphite) and products
(diamond).

C(graphite)  C(diamond)
 STATIC EQUILIBRIUM

• Static equilibrium does not necessarily mean there are

no moles on the reactant side after the reaction has
occurred.
• The reaction has halted.
• Reactants are not forming products and the products
are not being converted back into the reactants.
 STEADY STATE

• A steady state system is when the system is

constant.
• E.g. A bathtub with the tap running but with the
drain unplugged; after a certain time the water flows
in and out at the same rate so the water level
stabilises and the system is in a steady state.
• The steady state concept is different from
equilibrium, even though both create a situation
where the concentration does not change. There
does not have to be a reaction for a steady state to
develop.
 DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM

• Dynamic equilibrium occurs when reactants are

converted to products and products are converted to
reactants at an equal and constant rate.
• Reactions do not necessarily – and most often do not –
end up with equal concentrations.
• Equilibrium is a state of equal, opposite rates, not equal
concentrations.
 EQUILIBRIUM REACTIONS

• Dynamic equilibrium is where rates of forward

and reverse reactions are equal.
• Static equilibrium is where rates of forward and
revers reactions are zero.
EQUILIBRIUM REACTIONS
 OPEN SYSTEM

Water
• If substances can either be added or lost, then vapour
this is described as an open system.
• An open system freely exchanges energy and
matter with its surroundings.
• E.g. If hydrochloric acid is add to calcium
Hea
carbonate in an open beaker, then the carbon t
dioxide gas produced would escape into the air.
 CLOSED SYSTEM

• If the chemicals in the reaction are all contained

within a certain space this is called a closed system.
• A closed system exchanges only energy with its
surroundings, not matter.
• E.g. If hydrochloric acid was added to calcium
Hea
carbonate in a sealed container, then nothing can t
enter or leave the system and it is describe as a
closed system.
OPEN VS CLOSED SYSTEM
OPEN VS CLOSED SYSTEM