The reaction quotient 'Q' measures the relative amounts of products and reactants present during a reaction at any point in time. It is the same expression as the equilibrium constant, but doesn't imply that the system is at equilibrium.
Think of Q like a GPS for a chemical reaction. Just as a GPS tells you where you are on your journey, Q tells us where we are in our chemical reaction - whether we're closer to the reactants (start), products (end), or somewhere in between.
Equilibrium Constant (K): The ratio of concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium.
Le Chatelier's Principle: A principle stating that if a change is made to a system at equilibrium, the system will adjust itself to partially counteract that change.
Chemical Equilibrium: A state in which both reactants and products are present in concentrations which have no further tendency to change with time.
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.