Get premium membership and access revision papers with marking schemes, video lessons and live classes.

Processing. Please wait.

Meaning, Types and characteristics of Equilibrium systems

Answer Text:
Equilibrium:
- Is the state at which the rate of forward reaction is equal to the rate of backward reaction.
Types of equilibrium:
Static equilibrium:
- refers to a situation when two opposing forces balance each other and whatever was happening before comes to a standstill.
Dynamic equilibrium:
- Refers to a situation when two opposing processes, the forward and reverse, continue taking place but at the same rate.
- The equilibrium is said to be dynamic and this state of balance can be reached from either direction.
Examples:
`Fe(s)+4H_2O overset(leftarrow)(rightarrow)Fe_3O_4(s)+4H_2(g)`
- The Equilibrium state here is established when:
-Either steam is passed over heated iron in a closed container; or
-When hydrogen is passed over heated iron oxide;
Characteristics of equilibrium systems.
(i) The concentrations of reactants and products do not change after the equilibrium has been reached unless the system is disturbed.
Note:
- Observable properties of reactants or products such as colour, mass, volume, PH, temperature etc can be used to detect whether a system is in equilibrium or not.
Examples:

(ii). The equilibrium can be reached from either direction.
(iii). All the reactants and products are present in the system.