Reaction Quotient

How do you predict which direction a reaction will proceed to reach equilibrium?

Why?
When a reaction reaches equilibrium there must be some non-negligible amount of every species in the
reaction, otherwise the reaction cannot react in both directions. Knowing this, it is very easy to predict
which direction a reaction will go to reach equilibrium when one of the components of the reaction has
an initial concentration of zero. Many of the problems you have worked with thus far have some compo-
nent at zero concentration, but real life does not work that way. Most of the time, the reaction in question
has some measureable amount of every species. Deciding which way the reaction will go to reach equilib-
rium then becomes more challenging.

Model 1 – A Theoretical Equilibrium

Trial 1 A (g)  +  B (g)  ←
→  C (g) Trial 2 A (g)  +  B (g)  ←
→  C (g)
Initial 1.000 M 1.000 M 1.000 M Initial 2.000 M 0.500 M 0.500 M
Change Change
Equilibrium 1.464 M 1.464 M 0.536 M Equilibrium 2.150 M 0.650 M 0.350 M

Trial 3 A (g)  +  B (g)  ←

→  C (g) Trial 4 A (g)  +  B (g)  ←
→  C (g)
Initial 1.000 M 0.500 M 1.500 M Initial 1.600 M 1.000 M 0.400 M
Change Change
Equilibrium 1.864 M 1.364 M 0.636 M Equilibrium 1.600 M 1.000 M 0.400 M

Trial 5 A (g)  +  B (g)  ←

→  C (g) Trial 6 A (g)  +  B (g)  ←
→  C (g)
Initial 1.400 M 1.200 M 0.400 M Initial 0.750 M 2.000 M 0.250 M
Change Change
Equilibrium 1.388 M 1.188 M 0.412 M Equilibrium 0.675 M 1.925 M 0.325 M

  1. Examine Model 1.
a. Write the theoretical chemical reaction that is used in the trials of Model 1.
A(g)+B(g) C(g)

b. If 0.50 M of reactant A reacts, predict the change in concentration of B and C.

Since all of the coefficients in the reaction are one, the concentration of B will decrease by 0.50 M
and the concentration of Chill increase by 0.50 M.

  2. What variables were changed in the different trials shown in Model 1?

Each trial in Model 1 has different initial concentrations of the three species.

Reaction Quotient 1
   3. In Trial 1 of Model 1 there is an arrow in the “change” section of the table.
a. Explain what that arrow represents.

The arrow indicates the direction that the reaction shifts in order to reach equilibrium.

b. What evidence is present in the table to indicate the direction the arrow should be pointing?
The concentration of the product, C, decreased and the concentrations of the reactants, A and B,
increased. That indicates the reaction shifted in the reverse direction.
  4. With your group, determine which direction each of the other trials in Model 1 reacted to reach
equilibrium. Indicate that direction with an arrow in the “change” section of the table.
  5. Is it true that there are equal concentrations of reactants and products when all of the reactions in
Model 1 reach equilibrium? Justify your answer with evidence from Model 1.
No. Even if the reactant concentrations are added together, they do not equal the product concentrations in any of the
trials.
  6. According to Model 1, are the final concentrations of all species in the reaction the same when
the reaction reaches equilibrium, regardless of the initial concentration?

No, each of the trials in Model 1 has a different equilibrium concentration.

  7. Does the reaction in Model 1 always proceed in the forward direction when there are more reac-
tants than products? Justify your answer with evidence from Model 1.

No. In Trial 2 of Model 1, there are far more reactants than products, and the reaction went in the
reverse direction.

  8. Write the equilibrium constant expression for the reaction in Model 1.

K=C/AB

  9. Discuss with your group how you could determine the equilibrium constant, K eq, for the reaction
in Model 1. Divide the work among group members. Use data from multiple trials to calculate
the equilibrium constant for the reaction and determine the average. Show all work.

K=0.536/(1.464M)(1.464M)
K=0.250

K=0.350/(2.150M)(0.650M)
K=0.250

K=(0.636)/(1.864M)(1.364M)
K=0.250

2 POGIL™ Activities for AP* Chemistry

Read This!
The key to knowing which direction a reaction will need to proceed in order to reach equilibrium is
knowing if you have too much reactant or too much product compared to the equilibrium state. Keep in
mind, however, that there are many combinations of reactant and product concentrations that constitute
an equilibrium state.

Model 2 – Comparing Q and K eq

Reaction Equilibrium Direction to

Trial Q versus K eq
Quotient, Q Constant, K eq Equilibrium
1 1.000 0.250 >
2 0.500 0.250 >
3 3.00 0.250 >
4 0.250 0.250 =
5 0.238 0.250 <

6 0.167 0.250 <

10. Fill in the Equilibrium Constant column in Model 2 using data from Model 1.
11. Fill in the Direction to Equilibrium column in Model 2 using data from Model 1.

Read This!
The reaction quotient for a reaction is the ratio of products to reactants, similar to the equilibrium
constant. The difference is you calculate the ratio with initial conditions.
 [C]eq   [C]initial
K eq  = –––––––– Q  = ––––––––––––
    [A]eq [B]eq  [A]initial [B]initial

12. Calculate the reaction quotient for each of the trials in Model 1 and record the data in Model 2
in the appropriate column. Divide the work among group members. Show your work below.

Q=1.000M/(1.000M)(1.000M)
Q=1.000

Q=(0,.500M)/(2.500M)
Q=0.500

Q=(1.500M)/(1.000M)(0.500M)
Q=3.000

Reaction Quotient 3
 13. Consider how the concentration values in the reaction quotient change when the reaction pro-
ceeds in the forward direction.
a. Does the numerator increase or decrease?

The numerator represents the products. In the forward reaction, the products increase. Therefore, the
the numerator of Qwill increase as the reaction proceeds in the forward direction.

b. Does the denominator increase or decrease?

The denominator represents the reactants. In a forward reaction, the reactants decrease. Therefore,
the denominator of Q will decrease as the reaction proceeds in the forward direction.

c. Overall, does the Q ratio increase or decrease when the reaction proceeds in the forward
direction?
The numerator increases and the denominator decreases, so it Qwill increase overall.

14. Consider how the concentration values in the reaction quotient change when the reaction pro-
ceeds in the reverse direction.
a. Does the numerator increase or decrease?
The numerator represents the products. In a reverse reaction, the products decrease. Therefore, the
numerator of Qwill decrease as the reaction proceeds in the reverse direction.

b. Does the denominator increase or decrease?

The denominator represents the reactants. In a reverse reaction, the reactants increase. Therefore,
the denominator of Qwill increase as the reaction proceeds in the reverse direction.

c. Overall does the Q ratio increase or decrease when the reaction proceeds in the forward
direction?

The numerator decreases and the denominator increases, so Qwill decrease overall.

15. Fill in the Q versus K eq column in the table in Model 2. Write Q > K eq, Q < Keq or Q = K eq.
16. Complete the following statements.
a. When the reaction quotient is greater than the equilibrium constant, the reaction proceeds
more in (the forward, the reverse, neither) direction to reach equilibrium.
b. When the reaction quotient is less than the equilibrium constant, the reaction proceeds more
in (the forward, the reverse, neither) direction to reach equilibrium.
c. When the reaction quotient is equal to the equilibrium constant, the reaction proceeds more
in (the forward, the reverse, neither) direction to reach equilibrium.

4 POGIL™ Activities for AP* Chemistry

 17. Consider the following reaction.
2SO2 (g)  + O2 (g)  ←
→ 2SO3 (g)   K eq  =  3900 at 2000 K
a. Write the equilibrium constant expression for the reaction.

K=SO3^2/SO2^2 O2

b. Write the reaction quotient expression for the reaction.

Q=SO3^2/SO2 O2

c. A reaction vessel contains 0.150 M sulfur dioxide, 0.150 M oxygen and 2.000 M sulfur triox-
ide. Predict the direction the reaction must shift to reach equilibrium. Show a calculation to
justify your answer.

Q=()2.000M^2/(1.50M)^2(0.150M)

18. Consider the following reaction.

2HI (g)  ←
→ H2 (g)  + I2 (g)   K eq  =  0.25 at 25 °C
A reaction vessel contains 0.500 M hydrogen, 0.500 M iodine vapor and 0.750 M hydrogen
iodide. Predict the direction the reaction must shift to react equilibrium. Show a calculation to
justify your answer.

Qis greater than Keg, the reaction will shift in the reverse direction to reach equilibrium.

Reaction Quotient 5
Extension Questions
19. Consider the following reaction.
Cd2+ (aq)  + 4Cl1− (aq)  ←
→ CdCl42− (aq)   K eq  =  108 at 25 °C
a. Write the reaction quotient expression for the reaction.

Q=CdCl4/Cd Cl

b. A reaction vessel contains 0.100 M cadmium ion, 0.500 M chloride and 0.250 M tetrachlo-
rocadmate ion. Predict the direction the reaction must shift to reach equilibrium. Show a
calculation to justify your answer.
Q=(0.250M)/(0.100M)(0.500M)=40

20. Consider the following reaction.

C (s)  + H2O (g)  ←
→ H2 (g)  +  CO (g)   K eq  = 4.09 × 10−3 at 2000 K
a. A 1.000-L reaction vessel contains 4.00 M of water vapor, 0.040 M hydrogen and 0.040 M
carbon monoxide. Calculate the reaction quotient and state which direction the quotient
predicts the reaction must shift to reach equilibrium.

Based on the Qvalue, the reaction would need to proceed in the forward direction to reach equilib-
rium because Qis less than K eq•

b. Discuss why the prediction above is wrong in this case.

According to the initial conditions stated in the problem, there is no carbon solid present in the
reaction vessel. Therefore, the reaction must react in the reverse direction to reach equilibrium. The
reaction quotient does not take solids into account andtherefore cannot predict the direction ofthis
equilibrium.
21. LeChâtelier’s principle states that an equilibrium system will shift in the direction that reduces
the stress put on the system. Is this consistent with the predictions made by calculating the reac-
tion quotient and comparing Q to the equilibrium constant? Provide an example to support your
answer.
Yes. Suppose that a system at equilibrium has some extra reactant added to the reaction vessel.
LeChåtelierpredicts the reaction will move in the forward direction to reduce the addedsubstance.
The added reactant will also increase the value ofthe denominator of Q making it lower than Keqfor
the reaction. This would also result in a prediction ofaforward reaction to reach equilibrium. There-
fore, the two methods of predicting the direction a reaction shifts are consistent.
6 POGIL™ Activities for AP* Chemistry