flask Chemical Equilibrium
Many reactions don't go to completion — they reach a dynamic balance. Equilibrium explains how far reactions proceed, how to shift them with Le Châtelier's principle, and how solubility equilibria control precipitation.
What you will learn
- Explain dynamic equilibrium
- Write equilibrium constant expressions
- Use the reaction quotient
- Apply Le Châtelier's principle
- Solve ICE table problems
High School concepts
Dynamic equilibrium: balanced but never still
Understand dynamic equilibrium: why reactions never truly stop, what 'equal rates' really means, and why equilibrium needs a closed system.
Le Châtelier's principle: how equilibria respond to stress
Learn Le Châtelier's principle: how equilibrium systems respond to changes in concentration, pressure, and temperature — and why catalysts are the exception.
Solubility equilibrium: the balance in saturated solutions
Learn what solubility equilibrium means, how temperature and the common ion affect solubility, and how it connects to the solubility product Ksp.
Introductory College concepts
Equilibrium calculations: strategies that always work
Learn the systematic strategies for equilibrium calculations: finding K from data, finding concentrations from K, and handling gas-phase equilibria.
The equilibrium constant: how far reactions go
Learn what the equilibrium constant K means, how to write its expression, what large and small K values tell you, and why pure solids and liquids are left out.
ICE tables: solving for equilibrium concentrations
Master ICE tables (Initial, Change, Equilibrium): the systematic method for computing equilibrium concentrations, with a fully worked example.
Ksp: the solubility product constant
Learn what the solubility product Ksp means, how to compute solubility from Ksp, and how comparing Qsp to Ksp predicts precipitation.
The reaction quotient: predicting which way is forward
Learn what the reaction quotient Q is, how to calculate it from any mixture, and how comparing Q to K predicts which way a reaction will shift.