Greater Minds Tutors

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 n...

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...

The Kinetic Theory of Matter postulates that matter is made up of tiny particles that are continuously in motion and so possess kinetic energy . It is also known as the Molecular Theory. The particles may be atoms, molecules or ions. Recall that matter exists in three common states, namely solid, liquid and gaseous states; although, we also have plasma and Einstein-Bosé condensate as additional states of matter. However, these are beyond our scope of discussion. The major differences in the properties of solid, liquid and gas are the degrees of intermolecular forces of attraction and average kinetic energy of the particles. While the intermolecular force is strongest in the solid state, which confers upon a solid its rigidity in shape and form, it is weakest in the gaseous state, which explains why a gas is formless and takes the shape and volume of the containing vessel. The intermolecular force of attraction is however, mild (not very strong and not very weak) in the liquid sta...

Gas Laws These are empirical laws that are used to explain the behaviour of ideal gases. An ideal gas is a perfect gas. It is a gas that does not exist, because there is no perfect situation in the real world. The Gas laws are grouped into two major categories - the physical and chemical laws. The former seek to explain the behaviour of gases based on their physical properties such as volume, temperature and pressure, while the latter do so by using their chemical properties like the number of molecules in the gases. We had looked at the chemical laws in our post - Gas Laws (Part II): Gay Lussac's & Avogadro's Laws , so this post will be devoted to the discussion on the physical laws. Boyle's Law This law states that the volume, V, of a given mass of gas is inversely proportional to its pressure, P, provided the temperature remains constant. This implies that if the volume of a gas is doubled, it will lead to a decrease in the gas pressure by half. Simil...