Many chemical systems tend to reach a state of equilibrium. These include environmental, biological, and industrial reactions. Chemical equilibrium experiments provide insight into the factors that determine equilibrium. Show a video demonstrating the dynamic nature of chemical equilibrium.
Students perform lab experiments and observe the reversibility of chemical reactions.
Have students develop a model of dynamic equilibrium using two tanks of water. They simultaneously transfer water from one to the other at different rates and then at the same rate. Emphasize that dynamic equilibrium is a state in which the forward and reverse reactions are ongoing and occurring at the same rate. Discuss the enthalpy changes. Focus discussion on the concept of entropy.