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Difficulty: MediumReversible Reactions and Dynamic Equilibrium

At dynamic chemical equilibrium in a closed vessel, the concentration of the reactants must always be equal to the concentration of the products.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is False. Dynamic equilibrium requires equality of reaction rates, not equality of concentrations.
The correct answer is False because dynamic chemical equilibrium is defined by equal rates of the forward and reverse reactions, which maintains constant (un-changing) concentrations of reactants and products over time. However, the numerical concentrations of reactants and products do not need to be equal.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the condition for dynamic equilibrium.
Dynamic equilibrium is achieved when the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction (Rateforward=Ratereverse\text{Rate}_{\text{forward}} = \text{Rate}_{\text{reverse}}).
Equal rates prevent any net change in the concentrations of reactants and products.
2
Evaluate the relationship between rates and concentrations.
While rates are equal and concentrations remain constant, the absolute concentrations of reactants and products depend on the equilibrium position and the value of KcK_c.
If Kc>1K_c > 1, product concentrations exceed reactant concentrations at equilibrium, whereas if Kc<1K_c < 1, reactant concentrations predominate.

Key Concept

Equal Rates vs. Constant Concentrations in Dynamic Equilibrium
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Topics

Reversible Reactions and Dynamic Equilibrium