In this post, we shall be discussing the basic sub-topics on chemical equilibrium such as: ~ Meaning of equilibrium ~ Types of equilibrium ~ Conditions for chemical equilibrium ~ Equilibrium constant , K ~ Calculations involving equilibrium constant We will look at other areas such as Le Chatelier's Principle et al in our next/ subsequent posts . Meaning & Types of Equilibrium Equilibrium is a state of rest of a body or system. It is the state when all the forces acting on a body counteract themselves, thereby making the net force on the body to be equal to zero. This is known as static equilibrium . Example of a body that exhibits static equilibrium is the seesaw, when two bodies of equal weights or masses sit on each of its arms. Static Equilibrium More importantly, equilibrium is the state in which there is no observable or detectable change in the properties of a system with respect to time. Though there are no det
Chemical kinetics deals with two main aspects of a chemical reaction: the rate of reaction (i.e, the speed at which the reaction occurs), and the reaction mechanism (i.e, the details of all the steps involved in the reaction). In this post, our focus shall be on the rates of chemical reactions. Rates of Reactions Rate is the degree of change of the property of a substance with respect to time. A chemical reaction is a change which involves the conversion of reactants to products, as stated below: A ----> B where A is the reactant and B is the product. In the above hypothetical equation, it can be said that at the beginning of the reaction at time, t = 0, the amount of A present will be 100%, while the amount of B will be 0%. After, a given time, say t1, the concentration of A will decrease, while that of B will be seen to increase. The speed at which these changes occur is said to be the rate of reaction. Therefore, the rate of a chemical reaction i