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Assignment

Topic:The Relationship Between

Chemical Kinetics and Chemical
Equilibrium

Name:Nafisa Anzum
Roll:RK-45
Course:Chemistry
Submitted to:Md. Abu Bin Hasan Susan
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Chemical Kinetics

Chemical kinetics is the branch of physical chemistry that is concerned with understanding
the rates of chemical reactions. It is to be contrasted with thermodynamics, which deals
with the direction in which a process occurs but in itself tells nothing about its rate.It is the
description of the rate of a chemical reaction. This is the rate at which the reactants are
transformed into products.It involves the experimental study of reaction rates in order to
infer about the kinetic mechanisms for chemical conversion of reactants into products .

The chemical kinetics is classified into three types, mathematical, detailed, and applied
kinetics, while their elementary reactions are described as unimolecular, bimolecular, and
termolecular reactions.We can also calculate the reaction rates and speeds of a reaction
using the knowledge of chemical kinetics.

Chemical Equilibrium

Chemical equilibrium refers to the state of a system in which the concentration of the
reactant and the concentration of the products do not change with time and the system
does not display any further change in properties.When the rate of the forward reaction is
equal to the rate of the reverse reaction, the state of chemical equilibrium is achieved by
the system. When there is no further change in the concentrations of the reactants and the
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products due to the equal rates of the forward and reverse reactions, the system is said to
be in a state of dynamic equilibrium.

A graph with the concentration on the y-axis and time on the x-axis can be plotted. Once
the concentration of both the reactants and the products stops showing change, chemical
equilibrium is achieved

The Relationship Between Chemical Kinetics

and Chemical Equilibrium

There is a relation between Chemical kinetics and Chemical equilibrium in a reversible

reaction.It is only possible when the forward reaction rate and backward reaction rate is
equal in a reaction.So,let’s take an example. Suppose that the following reversible reaction
occurs via a mechanism consisting of a single elementary step in both the forward and
reverse directions:
Kf
A + 3B ⇔ AB3
Kr

The forward reaction is given by

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Rate f= Kf [A][B]
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And The Reverse reaction is given by

Rate r= Kr [AB3]

where kf and kr are the rate constants for the forward and reverse directions. At equi-
librium, when no net changes occur, the two rates must be equal:

Rate f = Rate r

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Kf [A][B] = Kr [AB3]

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Kf / Kr = [AB3] / [A][B]

Because both kf and kr are constants at a given temperature, their ratio is also a constant, which is equal to

the equilibrium constant Kc.

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Kf / Kr = Kc = [AB3] / [A][B]

So , Kc is always a constant regardless of the equilibrium concentrations of the reacting species because it

is always equal to kf / kr , the quotient of two quantities that are themselves constant at a given temperature.

Now suppose the same reaction has a mechanism with more than one elementary

step. Suppose it occurs via a two-step mechanism as follows:

K’
f
Step 1: 3B ⇔ B
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K’
r
K ’’
f

Step 2: A + B ⇔ AB
3 3
K ’’
r
Overall Reaction:
Kf

A + 3B ⇔ AB3
Kr
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Then we can write the expressions for the equilibrium constants:

K’ = K’ / K ’ = [ B ] / [ B ] ^3
f r 3

K’’ = K’’ / K ’’ = [AB ] / [A][B ]

f r 3 3

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[ B ][AB ] / [ B ] [A][B ]
K’K’’ = 3 3 3
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= [AB3] / [A][B]
=K
c

Overall , we can write kc =

[ B ][AB ] / [ B ] [A][B ] = K’ K’’

3 3 3
This result lets us generalize our treatment of the reaction

aA + bB ⇔ cC + dD

Regardless of whether this reaction occurs via a single-step or a multistep mechanism,we can write the

equilibrium constant expression according to the law of mass action

K = [C]^c [D]^d / [A]^a [B]^b

In summary, we see that in terms of chemical kinetics, the equilibrium constant of a reaction can be

expressed as a ratio of the rate constants of the forward and reverse reactions.This is the relationship

between chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium.We can also give example of a reaction.such as-

N O (g) ⇔ 2 NO (g)
2 4 2
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When this reaction reached to an equilibrium the relationship of chemical equilibrium and chemical kinetics

will be -

K = [NO ] ^2 / [N O ]
c 2 2 4
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