Topic 4.3 Chemical equlibrium

Return to AS and A2 chemistry

Students should be able to:
4.3a define the terms partial pressure and concentration

4.3b deduce expressions for the equilibrium constants Kc and Kp from given equations and calculate their numerical values with units, given suitable data
· expressions for Kc should involve ‘[ ]’ implying the concentration term mol dm-3. Units should be given for numerical values of K; if there are no units this should be explicitly stated
· expressions for Kp should not include the use of square brackets, since these have specific meaning for Kc.
· students are not expected to be able to justify the fact that for heterogeneous equilibria the activity of a solid is taken to be unity. No knowledge of solubility products will be expected

4.3c recall that expressions for Kp and Kc for heterogeneous equilibria do not include values for solid and liquid phases

4.3d recall that the presence of a catalyst does not affect the position of equilibrium

4.3e determine the equilibrium partial pressures in a simple binary gaseous dissociation (eg that of dinitrogen tetroxide) given the value of Kp

4.3f understand that changes in temperature result in a change in the value of Kc and Kp and that the position of equilibrum will change with change in temperature.
· students will be expected to use the expressions for Kc and Kp to perform calculations but they will not be expected to perform calculations that require the solution of quadratic equations.