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Chemical Equilibrium for Dummies

noun


What does Chemical Equilibrium really mean?

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Alright, so, chemical equilibrium is when a chemical reaction reaches a balance point. Picture a seesaw, where the weight on both sides is the same - that's equilibrium. In a chemical reaction, the amount of products and reactants stays the same once equilibrium is reached. It's like a tug of war between the reactants and the products, and when they have the same strength, they stop pulling. So, it's like they're kind of at a standstill, but still moving around.

Let's break it down a little more - when a reaction starts, the reactants (the stuff that reacts) turn into products (the new stuff that's made). At first, there's more reactants than products because the reaction is still going on. But, as the reaction keeps happening, the products start to build up and the reactants start to get used up. And, at some point, they balance out and stop changing. That's when the reaction has reached chemical equilibrium.

In simple words, it's like a game of tug of war between the reactants and the products, and they both pull equally hard so they stop moving. It's a balance point where there's still action, but the amounts of reactants and products stay the same. And that's chemical equilibrium for you!

Revised and Fact checked by Steven Jackson on 2023-11-13 22:18:46

Chemical Equilibrium In a sentece

Learn how to use Chemical Equilibrium inside a sentece

  • When you mix baking soda and vinegar together, the chemical equilibrium is reached when the amount of baking soda and vinegar used up are equal to the amount of carbon dioxide and water produced.
  • In a sealed container with water, some of the water will turn into gas and some gas will turn into water. Once this happens at the same rate, it is called chemical equilibrium.
  • When you burn a candle, the wax keeps turning into carbon dioxide and water but at a balanced rate with the other products, which is chemical equilibrium.
  • If you dissolve salt in water, eventually the salt will stop dissolving because it has reached a chemical equilibrium with the water.
  • In our bodies, the breakdown of sugar for energy reaches a chemical equilibrium when the amount of sugar breaking down is equal to the amount of energy produced.

Chemical Equilibrium Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Chemical Equilibrium Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Chemical Equilibrium Hyponyms

Words that are more specific than the original word.