Back to Equilibrium

Lesson PreviewLesson 5 of 12 in this unit

7.5 Magnitude of the Equilibrium Constant

Part of Equilibrium in AP® Chemistry. Read the opening section, then create a free account for the full interactive lesson, practice, and progress tracking.

Magnitude of the Equilibrium Constant

Using the magnitude of the equilibrium constant, we can make inferences about the reaction. If the equilibrium constant is very high, such as K>1{K>1}, this means that there are much more products than reactants at equilibrium, so this reaction can be essentially seen as going to completion with how little reactants there are compared to products. However, if the equilibrium constant is very small, such as K<1{K<1}, there are much more reactants than products at equilibrium, so this reaction can be essentially seen as barely proceeding. For example, if the equilibrium constant for a metal dissolving is very small, it can be seen as insoluble.

Continue the full lesson in Stellar

Create a free account to unlock the remaining sections, checkpoints, course practice, and progress tracking for AP® Chemistry.