In a reversible chemical reaction at equilibrium, if the concentration of each participating substance is doubled, how does the equilibrium constant change___________________?
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Answer: A. Same
Explanation
Equilibrium constant depends exclusively on temperature and remains unchanged when concentrations double. Doubling participating substance concentrations shifts reaction rates equally without altering the constant value. Law of mass action shows that concentration terms cancel out mathematically in equilibrium expressions. Chemical equilibrium represents a dynamic state where forward and reverse reaction rates are equal. Equilibrium constant is a thermodynamic property that changes only when the system temperature changes. Altering pressure or concentration disturbs temporary conditions but the constant value remains fixed.
Industrial chemical synthesis reactors rely on constant equilibrium values to predict final product yields. Understanding that catalysts and concentrations do not change equilibrium constants prevents design errors. Process control engineers use equilibrium models to optimize reactant feed rates in continuous reactors. Doubling the constant value is incorrect because concentrations do not determine equilibrium constants. Halving the value reflects a misunderstanding of mass action law mathematics and thermodynamics. Reducing the constant to one fourth ignores the fundamental definition of equilibrium constants.
- Subject
- Engineering
- Category
- Chemical Engineering
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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