Equilibrium reactions and the factors affecting them | 16-18 years

In this activity, students decide whether statements about equilibrium reactions are true or false and review their decisions in a group discussion.

The resource is designed to check and make explicit the following misconceptions that:

• All of a reactant added to an equilibrium mixture is used up before equilibrium is restored.
• When additional reactant is added to a system in equilibrium the value of the equilibrium constant increases.
• Equilibrium is reached when the concentration of reactants equals the concentration of products.
• A high value of the equilibrium constant is associated with a fast reaction.
• The rate of the forward reaction increases from mixing reactants until equilibrium is established.
• Catalysts affect forward and reverse reactions in an equilibrium system in different ways.
• Heating an equilibrium mixture decreases the rate of an exothermic reaction.