Q
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Q
K is the equilibrium constant, but what is the purpose of finding Q? Specifically why do we use the same formula and what does it mean?
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Re: Q
K is the value at equilibrium, while Q is the value or [products]/[reactants] anytime during the reaction.
if K=Q, the reaction is at equilibrium
if K>Q, then [reactants]>[products] and the forward reaction is favored
if K<Q, then [reactants]<[products] and the reverse reaction is favored
if K=Q, the reaction is at equilibrium
if K>Q, then [reactants]>[products] and the forward reaction is favored
if K<Q, then [reactants]<[products] and the reverse reaction is favored
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Re: Q
Q is what the value is, while K is what the value should be at equilibrium. The reaction will shift to reduce the difference until Q=K
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Re: Q
K is calculated with the concentrations of the products and reactants when the reaction is at equilibrium, while Q can be calculated at any point in the reaction, which means the concentrations of the products and reactants can vary at different times in the reaction. Q is compared to K to determine how close a reaction is to being at equilibrium.
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Re: Q
Q is the reaction quotient, which is the concentrations of products over the concentrations of reactants, with the coefficients as exponents. K is just the specific value of Q when the reaction is at equilibrium.
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Re: Q
Q is crucial in finding which way the reaction is moving, whether that be toward the product or the reactants. When we find K we compare that to 1 in order to see whether there are more products or reactants at that moments in the equilibrium state. On the other hand, Q is found at any time before the reaction reaches chemical equilibrium and we compare Q to K in order to see which direction the reaction is moving. If K<Q the reaction moves to the reactants, and if K>Q then the reaction moves toward the products. The most important concept to remember is that we don't compare Q to "1" or any number besides a K value and it's sole purpose is to see which direction the reaction is moving toward, whether that be the products or reactants based on its value compared to K.
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