Position of equilibrium

Although the catalyst affects the rate of reaction, it cannot affect the position of equilibrium in a reversible reaction. 

For the equilibrium M(s) M (aq) + 2e, it might then be (correctly) assumed that the equilibrium for copper is further to the left than for zinc, i.e. copper has less tendency to form ions in solution than has zinc. The position of equilibrium (which depends also on temperature and concentration) is related to the relative reducing powers of the metals when two different metals in solutions of their ions are connected (as shown in Figure 4.1 for the copper-zinc cell) a potential difference is noted because of the differing equilibrium positions. 

Since an enzyme is a biological catalyst and therefore merely accelerates a reaction, it cannot alter the position of equilibrium in a reversible reaction. The hydrolysis of p-methylglucoside is reversible and emulsin should therefore be capable also of synthesising this compound frc n glucose and methanol. This synthesis can actually be carried out by the action of the enzyme on glucose dissolved in an excess of methanol, the excess of the alcohol throwing the equilibrium over to the left. Owing to experimental difficulties, this reaction is not here described. 

Here the weaker acid (acetic acid) is on the left and the stronger acid (hydronium ion) IS on the right The equilibrium constant is less than 1 and the position of equilibrium lies to the left... 

Verify that the position of equilibrium for the reaction between... 

The position of equilibrium m an acid-base reaction lies to the side of the weaker acid... 

According to Le Chatelier s principle, a system at equilibrium adjusts so as to mini mize any stress applied to it When the concentration of water is increased the system responds by consuming water This means that proportionally more alkene is converted to alcohol the position of equilibrium shifts to the right Thus when we wish to pre pare an alcohol from an alkene we employ a reaction medium m which the molar con centration of water is high—dilute sulfuric acid for example... 

Alcohols are stronger acids than acetylene and so the position of equilibrium lies to the left Methoxide ion is not a strong enough base to remove a proton from acetylene... 

Fischer esterification is reversible and the position of equilibrium lies slightly to the side of products when the reactants are simple alcohols and carboxylic acids When the Fis cher esterification is used for preparative purposes the position of equilibrium can be made more favorable by using either the alcohol or the carboxylic acid m excess In the following example m which an excess of the alcohol was employed the yield indicated IS based on the carboxylic acid as the limiting reactant... 

Another way to shift the position of equilibrium to favor the formation of ester is by removing water from the reaction mixture This can be accomplished by adding benzene as a cosolvent and distilling the azeotropic mixture of benzene and water... 

Table 17 3 compares the equilibrium constants for hydration of some simple aldehydes and ketones The position of equilibrium depends on what groups are attached to C=0 and how they affect its steric and electronic environment Both effects con tribute but the electronic effect controls A hydr more than the steric effect... 

Cyanohydrin formation is reversible and the position of equilibrium depends on the steric and electronic factors governing nucleophilic addition to carbonyl groups described m the preceding section Aldehydes and unhindered ketones give good yields of cyanohydrins... 

The position of equilibrium is favorable for acetal formation from most aldehydes especially when excess alcohol is present as the reaction solvent For most ketones the position of equilibrium is unfavorable and other methods must be used for the prepara tion of acetals from ketones... 

Diols that bear two hydroxyl groups m a 1 2 or 1 3 relationship to each other yield cyclic acetals on reaction with either aldehydes or ketones The five membered cyclic acetals derived from ethylene glycol (12 ethanediol) are the most commonly encoun tered examples Often the position of equilibrium is made more favorable by removing the water formed m the reaction by azeotropic distillation with benzene or toluene... 

The position of equilibrium lies well to the right Ethanol with p/Ca=16 is a much weaker acid than acetic acid (p/Ca = 4 7)... 

Claisen condensations involve two distinct experimental operations The first stage concludes m step 4 of Figure 21 1 where the base removes a proton from C 2 of the p keto ester Because this hydrogen is relatively acidic the position of equilibrium for step 4 lies far to the right... 

Even though ketones have the potential to react with themselves by aldol addition recall that the position of equilibrium for such reactions lies to the side of the starting materials (Section 18 9) On the other hand acylation of ketone enolates gives products (p keto esters or p diketones) that are converted to stabilized anions under the reaction conditions Consequently ketone acylation is observed to the exclusion of aldol addition when ketones are treated with base m the presence of esters... 

The Kolbe-Schmitt reaction is an equilibrium process governed by thermodynamic control The position of equilibrium favors formation of the weaker base (salicylate ion) at the expense of the stronger one (phenoxide ion) Thermodynamic control is also responsible for the pronounced bias toward ortho over para substitution Salicylate anion IS a weaker base than p hydroxybenzoate and predominates at equilibrium... 

Adsorption is invariably an exothermic process, so that, provided equilibrium has been established, the amount adsorbed at a given relative pressure must diminish as the temperature increases. It not infrequently happens, however, that the isotherm at a given temperature Tj actually lies above the isotherm for a lower temperature Ti. Anomalous behaviour of this kind is characteristic of a system which is not in equilibrium, and represents the combined effects of temperature on the rate of approach to equilibrium and on the position of equilibrium itself. It points to a process which is activated in the reaction-kinetic sense and which therefore occurs more rapidly as temperature is increased. 

Thiol-thione tautomers have not been extensively studied, but UV and IR evidence show that 5-phenylisothiazole-3-thiol exists in the SH form. Ring-chain tautomerism of 2,3-dihydro derivatives of 1,2-benzisothiazole can occur (26a 26b) and the position of equilibrium depends very much on the solvent, physical state and nature of the substituents (69JOC919, 81KGS1209). 

Some chemical reactions are reversible and, no matter how fast a reaction takes place, it cannot proceed beyond the point of chemical equilibrium in the reaction mixture at the specified temperature and pressure. Thus, for any given conditions, the principle of chemical equilibrium expressed as the equilibrium constant, K, determines how far the reaction can proceed if adequate time is allowed for equilibrium to be attained. Alternatively, the principle of chemical kinetics determines at what rate the reaction will proceed towards attaining the maximum. If the equilibrium constant K is very large, for all practical purposes the reaction is irreversible. In the case where a reaction is irreversible, it is unnecessary to calculate the equilibrium constant and check the position of equilibrium when high conversions are needed. 

Verify that the position of equilibrium for the reaction between phenol and hydroxide ion lies to the right by comparing the pK of the acid on the left to the acid on the right. Which acid is stronger Do the same for the reaction of phenol with hydrogen carbonate ion. 

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