Law of Mass Action
What do you mean by the Law of Mass Action?
The law of mass action is a law which relates the rate of reaction with the concentration of reactants. It states that the rate of a chemical reaction is directly proportional to the concentrations of its reactants.
What is meant by the equilibrium constant?
Equilibrium constant is the ratio of the product concentrations to the reactant concentrations at equilibrium for a reversible chemical reaction.
How does the Law of Mass Action relate to the Le Chatelier’s principle?
Le Chatelier’s principle defines how a reaction at equilibrium responds to changes in temperature, pressure, or concentration whereas the law of mass action gives a basis for quantitative analysis of changes in reaction rate with changes in reactant or product concentrations.
Does the Law of Mass action apply to irreversible reactions as well?
Yes, the Law holds true for irreversible reactions as well, i.e. the rate of reaction is directly proportional to the concentrations of the reactants.
Are there any limitations to the Law of Mass Action?
Yes, the law doesn’t account for the factors such as reaction mechanisms, catalysts, etc. to determine the rate of reaction.
Law of Mass Action
Law of Mass Action relates to the rate of a chemical reaction. It states that the rate of a reaction is directly proportional to the concentrations of its reactants. More precisely, the rate of a chemical reaction is directly proportional to the product of its reactant concentrations raised to their respective stoichiometric coefficients at constant temperature and pressure. This implies that an increase in reactant concentration would lead the reaction to move forward at a faster rate. The law of mass action forms the basis for equilibrium constant expression, which helps in quantifying the dynamics of the reaction.
In this article, we will discuss what is meant by the Law of Mass Action, Equilibrium Constant, Chemical Equilibrium, applications of the law and related frequently asked questions.