Reversible Reaction

In the picture

1. 1The sealed glass vessel holds both red and blue spheres.
2. 2The upper tube carries red spheres to the right, one direction of the change.
3. 3The lower tube carries blue spheres to the left, the opposite direction.
4. 4The level balance shows the two directions proceeding at equal rates.

Examples

• A sealed bottle of soda keeps carbon dioxide dissolving into and escaping from the liquid at equal rates.
• A saturated salt solution has salt dissolving and crystallizing at the same rate.

Quiz: Reversible Reaction (Age 17)

1. 1

   What is true about a reversible reaction at equilibrium in a closed system?

   • The forward change speeds up until the reverse change stops completely.
   • Both the forward and reverse changes happen at the same rate.
   • The reactants are completely converted into products.
2. 2

   What happens to the amounts of reactants and products when a closed system has reached equilibrium?

   • They stay steady because both directions are occurring at equal rates.
   • They change only if the reaction has stopped entirely.
   • They continue changing until only products remain.
3. 3

   Which condition allows a reversible reaction to reach equilibrium?

   • The forward reaction is much faster than the reverse reaction.
   • The system is open, so products can escape and drive the reaction forward.
   • The system is closed, so products can change back into reactants.

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.