Which pair of components must be equal for a chemical system to be at equilibrium?
A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 1
Which pair of components must be equal for a chemical system to be at equilibrium?
A. The rate of the forward reaction and the rate of the reverse reaction
B. The co... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Which pair of components must be equal for a chemical system to be at equilibrium?
A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. The rate of the forward reaction and the rate of the reverse reaction
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Answer
At chemical equilibrium, the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction. This means that the amounts of reactants and products remain constant over time, indicating that the system is balanced.
Step 2
B. The concentrations of the reactants and the concentrations of the products
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Answer
Though the concentrations of reactants and products may remain constant at equilibrium, they are not necessarily equal. The equilibrium constant is defined based on these concentrations but does not imply they are equal at all times.
Step 3
C. The enthalpy of the forward reaction and the enthalpy of the reverse reaction
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Answer
The enthalpy change of the forward reaction is equal in magnitude but opposite in sign to that of the reverse reaction. However, equality of enthalpy is not a condition for equilibrium.
Step 4
D. The time that an atom exists in a reactant molecule and in a product molecule
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Answer
This concept is unrelated to the condition of equilibrium in a chemical system and cannot be used to determine or explain equilibrium.
