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
A pre-equilibrium state in chemistry refers to the condition of a reaction before it reaches equilibrium. It's when reactants are still being converted into products at different rates.
This is an equation that relates the reaction rate with concentrations or pressures of reactants and constant parameters.
Reactant: A substance that takes part in and undergoes change during a reaction.
Chemical Kinetics: The study of rates at which reactions occur, how those rates change under varying conditions, and what molecular events occur during the 'slow' period of a reaction (pre-equilibrium).