Thursday, March 26, 2009
Dynamic Equilibrium
When two opposing rates of change are equal—such as the rate of evaporation
and the rate of condensation in our closed system—we say the system has reached
a dynamic equilibrium. Dynamic equilibrium is found in many of the systems that
you will encounter in chemistry, so it is important to have a general understanding
of the conditions necessary to create it. First, the system must exhibit two ongoing,
opposing changes, from state A to state B and from state B to state A. For example,
state A is the liquid, state B is the vapor, and the two opposing changes are evaporation
and condensation. For a dynamic equilibrium to exist, the rates of the two opposing
changes must be equal, so that there are constant changes between state A and state
B but no net change in the components of the system. In the dynamic equilibrium of
our liquid-vapor system, the liquid is constantly changing to vapor, and the vapor is
constantly changing to liquid, but no net change in the amounts of liquid and vapor
is observed .
When two opposing rates of change are equal—such as the rate of evaporation
and the rate of condensation in our closed system—we say the system has reached
a dynamic equilibrium. Dynamic equilibrium is found in many of the systems that
you will encounter in chemistry, so it is important to have a general understanding
of the conditions necessary to create it. First, the system must exhibit two ongoing,
opposing changes, from state A to state B and from state B to state A. For example,
state A is the liquid, state B is the vapor, and the two opposing changes are evaporation
and condensation. For a dynamic equilibrium to exist, the rates of the two opposing
changes must be equal, so that there are constant changes between state A and state
B but no net change in the components of the system. In the dynamic equilibrium of
our liquid-vapor system, the liquid is constantly changing to vapor, and the vapor is
constantly changing to liquid, but no net change in the amounts of liquid and vapor
is observed .
what we could have been, 3:35 AM.
