Chemical Equilibrium

This activity introduces you to chemical equilibrium at the molecular level and then asks you to explore how changing reaction conditions lead to changes in the mixture of chemicals present at equilibrium. There are four sections. In the first, you will observe the behaviour of molecules in chemical equilibrium for a chemical reaction between gases. In the next two sections, you will develop an understanding of how yields of reactions can be changed by adjusting the pressure and temperature. The last section deals with chemical equilibrium for reactions in solution, and you will use your observations to find a relationship between concentrations in an equilibrium mixture.

Activity 10.1 Part 1 comprises the first three sections and comes at the beginning of Book 4, Section 10.8. The important ideas are reinforced in Sections 10.8.1 and 10.8.2. When you first try this activity, we recommend that you work through the parts in the order in which they are presented in the book. The final section is Activity 10.1 Part 2 which comes at the beginning of Book 4, Section 10.8.3. This section involves plotting a graph using the computer package and following the associated audio instructions.

Estimated study time: 1 hour, split equally between the two parts