Reaction Q

[Emily Orozco L4]

What does the reaction quotient tell us about the reaction?

[Anna Chen 1K]

Q determines which direction a reaction will proceed at any time during the reaction.
If Q < K at some time during the reaction, then there are more reactants than products and the forward reaction is favored.
If Q > K at some time during the reaction, then there are more products than reactants and the reverse reaction is favored.

[peteryim]

To clarify further upon Anna's comment, when the forward reaction is favored, more products will be created, and the concentration of products will grow. If the reverse reaction is favored, more reactants will be created, and the concentration of reactants will increase.

Q is relevant because it compares to K, the equilibrium constant. Q will eventually become K at some point, and so the concentration of reactants/products must adjust accordingly.

[Eva Zhao 4I]

Q expresses the relative ratio of products to reactants at a given instant not necessarily at equilibrium, which is why you can compare Q with K to determine the direction of the reaction. The reaction shifts right if Q<K, shifts left if Q>K, and is at equilibrium is Q=K.

[Minh Ngo 4G]

Reaction Quotient, Q, tells us the direction the rxn will shift in order to achieve equilibrium

[Justin Quan 4I]

To add on, since Q is the relative ratio of products to reactants at a given instant, you know the reaction shifts right if Q<K and shifts left if Q>K.When Q=K, the reaction is at equilibrium. To summarize, finding Q helps you determine what direction the reaction will proceed based on the ratio between products to reactants

[205291012]

Q tells us which direction the reaction will proceed when you measure the ratio of reactants to products at any given time. By comparing Q to K, you can figure out if the reaction will shift towards products or reactants.

[alex_4l]

Basically Q is referring to anything other than the equilibrium