Applications Involving the Equilibrium Constant
Knowing the value of the equilibrium constant for a reaction helps us do many thing. The size of K tells us the inherent tendency of the reaction. When K is much larger than 1, at equilibrium the reaction system will be mostly products.
A(g)--->B(g)
K= [B]
[A]
If K for this reaction equals 10,000 then the reaction strongly favors the products.
If K is much smaller than 1, this means that the reaction strongly favors the reactants.
If the equilibrium position is far to the left, the given reaction does not occur to a significant amount.
The equilibrium constant can also be used to calculate the concentrations of reactants and products.
If we know the value of K and all the concentrations but one, we can calculate the missing concentration.