Question

Suppose a reaction has the equilibrium constant \(K=1.3 \times 10^{8}\). What does the magnitude of this constant tell you about the relative concentrations of products and reactants that will be present once equilibrium is reached? Is this reaction likely to be a good source of the products?

Short answer

The equilibrium constant (K) for the given reaction is \(K = 1.3 \times 10^{8}\), which is significantly greater than 1. This indicates that the reaction favors the formation of products, with much higher concentrations of products compared to reactants at equilibrium. Therefore, this reaction is likely to be a good source of the products.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Concept of Equilibrium Constant

The equilibrium constant (K) is a numerical value that describes the ratio of product concentrations to reactant concentrations at equilibrium. The value of K indicates the extent to which a reaction favors the formation of products or reactants. If K is significantly greater than 1, this means that the reaction favors the formation of products, whereas if K is significantly less than 1, the reaction favors the formation of reactants. If K is approximately equal to 1, the concentrations of products and reactants are approximately equal.

Evaluate the Equilibrium Constant

We are given \(K = 1.3 \times 10^{8}\). Since this value is significantly greater than 1, it indicates that the reaction favors the formation of products.

Determine the Relative Concentrations of Products and Reactants

Given that the equilibrium constant is significantly greater than 1, we can infer that the concentrations of products will be much greater than the concentrations of reactants at equilibrium. The large value of K suggests that the reaction will proceed almost to completion, meaning almost all the reactants will be converted to products (with only a minimal amount of reactants remaining in the mixture).

Assess Whether the Reaction is Likely to Be a Good Source of Products

Since the equilibrium constant suggests that the reaction favors the formation of products, with only a small amount of reactants remaining at equilibrium, we can conclude that this reaction is likely to be a good source of the products. Solution: 1. Understand the concept of equilibrium constant: The equilibrium constant (K) describes the ratio of product concentrations to reactant concentrations at equilibrium. 2. Evaluate the equilibrium constant: \(K = 1.3 \times 10^{8}\), which is significantly greater than 1. 3. Determine the relative concentrations of products and reactants: Since K is much greater than 1, the reaction will produce a large amount of products with minimal remaining reactants at equilibrium. 4. Assess whether the reaction is likely to be a good source of products: Given that the reaction favors the formation of products, it is likely to be a good source of products.