Student Exploration: Equilibrium and Concentration
Vocabulary: chemical equilibrium, concentration, equilibrium, equilibrium constant, reaction
quotient, reversible reaction
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE
...
Student Exploration: Equilibrium and Concentration
Vocabulary: chemical equilibrium, concentration, equilibrium, equilibrium constant, reaction
quotient, reversible reaction
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Gary has $5,000 in his bank account and earns a modest salary. Every month he pays for rent,
food, utilities, and entertainment.
A. How will Gary’s account change if he saves more than he spends? He will have more
money
B. How will Gary’s account change if he spends more than he saves? The money in his
account will decrease
C. What happens if Gary spends exactly as much as he saves? The money in his account
will remain the same.
Gizmo Warm-up
If Gary spends exactly as much as he earns, his savings will
be in equilibrium. Equilibrium occurs when two opposing
processes occur at the same rate, leading to no net change.
In the Equilibrium and Concentration Gizmo, you will
investigate how equilibrium can occur in chemical reactions.
To begin, check that Reaction 1 is selected. Set Moles NO2
to 8 and Moles N2O4 to 0.
1. Click Play ( ) and observe the colliding molecules. What do you notice?
The molecules sometimes combine with another to form N2O4.
In the Gizmo, a blue flash appears every time two reactants combine to form a product. A
red flash appears every time a product dissociates into reactants.
2. Click Reset ( ), and set Moles NO2 to 0 and Moles N2O4 to 8. Click Play.
What do you notice now? The N2O4 molecules are breaking apart.
3. When a reaction can proceed in either direction, it is a reversible reaction. Based on what
you have observed, is the synthesis
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