Which of the following statements concerning equilibrium constants is true?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To approach this question, we evaluate each statement about equilibrium constants in the context of chemical equilibria.
Option 1: 'When related reactions are added together, their equilibrium constants are added together.' This is a common misconception. In fact, when you add two reactions, the overall equilibrium constant is the product of the individual constants (K_total = K1 × K2), not the sum. So this statement is incorrect.
Option 2: 'When the coefficients in a balanced chemical reaction are multiplied by two, the equilibrium constant is squared.' This reflects the rule that scaling all stoichiometric coefficients by a factor n raises the equilibrium constant to the n-th power (K_new = K_original^n). Doubling all coefficients yields K^2, making this statement true. It aligns with the mathematical relationship between reaction stoichiometry and K.
Option 3: 'The equilibrium constant of the reverse reaction is equal in magnitude but opposite in sign of the forward reaction.' In chemical equilibria, K_rev = 1 / K_fwd; there is no negative sign involved. The concept of sign does not apply to equilibrium constants in this way, and the magnitude relationship is not simply 'equal and opposite.' Thus this statement is false.
Option 4: 'When the coefficients in a balanced chemical reaction are multiplied by two, the equilibrium constant is multiplied by two.' This would suggest a linear scaling of K with the coefficient, which is not correct. The correct relation is exponential (K squared when doubling all coefficients), so this statement is false.
Option 5: 'When the coefficients in a balanced chemical reaction are multiplied by two, the equilibrium constant is not affected.' Since K changes with the exponent of the scaling factor, this claim is false; K does change (by squaring in this case).
In summary, most options misstate how stoichiometric changes influence the equilibrium constant, while Option 2 accurately reflects the mathematical consequence of doubling all coefficients.

CHM-1020-LD01.2025SU PS I- Part II (Equilibrium)

Which of the following statements concerning equilibrium constants is true?

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