ICE Chart [ENDORSED]

[Nha Dang 2I]

When using an ICE chart, do you only you use it for weak acids/bases where there's an equilibrium reaction? Why?

[Jasmine Wu 1L]

Strong acids/bases are completely ionized in solution, but weak acids/bases are not. So you would need to calculate the concentrations, which is what the ICE box is for.

[Guadalupe T 1E]

When there are problems where we have to use ice boxes, are the acids and bases automatically weak?

[JamesAntonios 1E]

It's okay to use an ICE chart whenever there is a reaction. It just depends what you put for the starting and change values. For a strong base/acid, the change will cause the reactant base/acid to go to 0 while for weak base/acid, there will be some reactant still left over.

[Cali Rauk1D]

How do you tell which way the reaction is going and where to put the + or - X

[Alissa Stanley 3G]

The general rule for this is that the reactants will have a -X and the products will have a +X. This makes sense because the products are initially starting with 0, so they have to have something added.

[Chem_Mod]

Additionally, the wording in the question will give you context regarding which direction the reaction will proceed, and thus which species will have "-x" or "+x" in the "change" portion of the ICE box.

It's also possible that a question gives you the current concentrations of all species as well as the K value, in which case you'd have to calculate the reaction quotient, Q, and compare it with K to see which direction the reaction will proceed.

[Radha Patel 1D]

Will questions generally give you how much of a reactant is left over in the case that it is a weak acid or base? Or do we just have to calculate it using the change x variable and the initial concentration?

[diangelosoriano]

Is it possible to use an ICE chart if there are more than 2 reactants / products?

[PranithaPrasad]

We can, but I don't think we will have a problem with more than 2 products and 2 reactants mainly because it would get complicated.