Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Chemical equilibrium refers to a state in a chemical reaction where the forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate, resulting in no net change in the concentrations of reactants and products over time.
A reversible reaction is a chemical reaction that can proceed both forward and backward under certain conditions.
Le Chatelier's Principle: Le Chatelier's Principle states that when a system at equilibrium is subjected to an external stress (such as changes in temperature, pressure, or concentration), it will shift its position to counteract the effect of the stress.
The equilibrium constant is a numerical value that expresses the ratio of product concentrations to reactant concentrations at equilibrium for a given chemical equation.