Determination of equilibrium constants
Imagine you and your friend have a toy that you each want to play with. You can't decide who gets to play with it, so you agree to share it evenly. This is called equilibrium.
Equilibrium constants are like the rules you and your friend agreed to when sharing the toy. They help scientists understand how chemical reactions reach a balance between the products (the toy) and the reactants (you and your friend).
For example, let's say you mix some salt and water together. They will start to react and eventually reach a balance where the salt is evenly dissolved in the water. The equilibrium constant tells scientists how much salt is dissolved in the water at the point where the reaction is in balance.
Scientists calculate the equilibrium constant by looking at how much reactant was used and how much product was formed at the point where the reaction reached equilibrium. They use this information to determine how strong the reaction is and how much product will form.
So, just like you and your friend made rules to share the toy, scientists use equilibrium constants to understand the balance between reactants and products in chemical reactions.
Equilibrium constants are like the rules you and your friend agreed to when sharing the toy. They help scientists understand how chemical reactions reach a balance between the products (the toy) and the reactants (you and your friend).
For example, let's say you mix some salt and water together. They will start to react and eventually reach a balance where the salt is evenly dissolved in the water. The equilibrium constant tells scientists how much salt is dissolved in the water at the point where the reaction is in balance.
Scientists calculate the equilibrium constant by looking at how much reactant was used and how much product was formed at the point where the reaction reached equilibrium. They use this information to determine how strong the reaction is and how much product will form.
So, just like you and your friend made rules to share the toy, scientists use equilibrium constants to understand the balance between reactants and products in chemical reactions.