reaction quotient

(noun)

A measure of the activities or concentrations of the chemical species involved in a chemical reaction at a given point in time.

Related Terms

  • equilibrium constant
  • equilibrium

Examples of reaction quotient in the following topics:

  • Reaction Quotients

    • The reaction quotient is a measure of the relative amounts of reactants and products during a chemical reaction at a given point in time.
    • The reaction quotient, Q, is a measure of the relative amounts of reactants and products during a chemical reaction at a given point in time.
    • Three properties can be derived from this definition of the reaction quotient:
    • As the reaction proceeds, assuming that there is no energy barrier, the species' concentrations, and hence the reaction quotient, change.
    • Calculate the reaction quotient, Q, and use it to predict whether a reaction will proceed in the forward or reverse direction
  • Predicting the Direction of a Reaction

    • Equilibrium constants and reaction quotients can be used to predict whether a reaction will favor the products or the reactants.
    • If a reaction is not at equilibrium, you can use the reaction quotient, Q, to see where the reaction is in the pathway:
    • If you know the equilibrium constant for a reaction, and you know all the concentrations, you can predict in what direction the reaction will proceed.
    • Therefore, the reverse reaction is favored.
    • Evaluate whether a chemical reaction has reached equilibrium from the reaction coefficient (Q) and the equilibrium constant (K), and use the latter to predict whether the reaction will favor the reactants or products
  • Thermodynamics of Redox Reactions

    • The thermodynamics of redox reactions can be determined using their standard reduction potentials and the Nernst equation.
    • Q is the reaction quotient $\frac{C^cD^d}{A^aB^b}$.
    • It can be further simplified if the reaction has reached equilibrium, as in that case Q is the equilibrium constant K:
    • The relationship between the Gibbs free energy change and the standard reaction potential is:
    • Translate between the equilibrium constant/reaction quotient, the standard reduction potential, and the Gibbs free energy change for a given redox reaction
  • Concentration of Cells

    • In the late 19th century, Josiah Willard Gibbs formulated a theory to predict whether a chemical reaction would be spontaneous based on free energy:
    • Here, ΔG is the change in Gibbs free energy, T is absolute temperature, R is the gas constant, and Q is the reaction quotient.
    • In chemistry, a reaction quotient is a function of the activities or concentrations of the chemical species involved in a chemical reaction.
  • Homogeneous versus Heterogeneous Solution Equilibria

    • The equilibrium constants for reactions that contain substances that are all in the same phase, and reactions that contain substances in different phases, need to be calculated differently.
    • The former are called homogenous reactions, and the later are called heterogeneous reactions.
    • The equilibrium constant K for a given reaction is defined as the ratio of the products of a reaction to the reactants, measured at equilibrium.
    • In a general reaction
    • The reaction quotient measured at equilibrium is the equilibrium constant K.
  • Equilibrium Constant and Cell Potential

    • The standard cell potential for the reaction is then +0.34 V - (-0.76 V) = +1.10 V.
    • In this equation, E is the cell potential, Eo is the standard cell potential (i.e., measured under standard conditions), F is Faraday's constant, R is the universal gas constant, T is the temperature in degrees Kelvin, Q is the reaction quotient (which has the same algebraic from as the equilibrium constant expression, except it applies to any time during the reaction's progress), and n is the number of moles of electrons that are transferred in the balanced chemical equation of the redox process.
    • The cell potential is zero at equilibrium (E=0), and Q (the reaction quotient) can now be designated as the equilibrium constant K.
    • Calculate the equilibrium constant K, from the following reaction studied at a temperature of 298K:
    • Schematic of a galvanic cell for the reaction between Zn and Cu.
  • The Equilibrium Constant

    • Assuming this reaction is an elementary step, we can write the rate laws for both the forward and reverse reactions:
    • However, we know that the forward and reverse reaction rates are equal in equilibrium:
    • Notice that the left side of the equation is the quotient of two constants, which is simply another constant.
    • Predicting the Direction of a Reaction From the Value of Keq
    • A Keq >>1 is indicative that the forward reaction is highly favored over the reverse reaction, and at equilibrium, the concentrations of the products are much greater than those of the reactants.
  • Logarithms of Quotients

    • By applying the product, power, and quotient rules, you could write this expression as $\log_2(x^4)+\log_2(y^9)-\log_2(z^{100}) = 4\log_2x+9\log_2y-100\log_2z.$
    • Relate the quotient rule for logarithms to the rules for operating with exponents, and use this rule to rewrite logarithms of quotients
  • Difference Quotients

    • The difference quotient is used in algebra to calculate the average slope between two points but has broader effects in calculus.
    • It is also known as Newton's quotient:
    • The difference quotient is the average slope of a function between two points.
    • In this case, the difference quotient is know as a derivative, a useful tool in calculus.
    • Relate the difference quotient in algebra to the derivative in calculus
  • Dividing Polynomials

    • For example, find the quotient and the remainder of the division of $x^3 - 12x^2 -42$, the dividend, by $x-3$, the divisor.
    • Multiply the divisor by the result just obtained (the first term of the eventual quotient): $x^2 \cdot (x − 3) = x^3 − 3x^2$.
    • For example, find the quotient and the remainder of the division of $x^3 - 12x^2 -42$, the dividend, by $x-3$, the divisor.
    • Multiply the divisor by the result just obtained (the first term of the eventual quotient): $x^2 \cdot (x − 3) = x^3 − 3x^2$.
    • The calculated polynomial is the quotient, and the number left over (−123) is the remainder:
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