Equilibrium and Everyday Life

Equilibrium is defined as a state of balance or a stable situation where opposing forces cancel each other out and where no changes are occurring. The equilibrium constant is important because it gives us an idea of where the equilibrium lies. The larger the equilibrium constant, the further the equilibrium lies toward the products. In everyday life there are many examples of chemical equilibrium. One example is a bottle of a carbonated fountain drink. In the bottle there is carbon dioxide (CO2 ) dissolved in the liquid. There is also CO2 gas in the space between the liquid and the cap. There is a constant movement of CO2 from the liquid to the gas phase, and from the gas phase into the liquid. However, if you look at the bottle there does not appear to be any change. The system is in equilibrium. The three types of stressors for the equilibrium system is temperature, pressure and concentration. Another example of the system in everyday life is hemoglobin and oxygen in the body. Hemoglobin is concentrated in red blood cells that transport oxygen to the cells. The equilibrium conditions of the hemoglobin and oxygen interaction can be shown in the equation [Hb+4O2Hb(O2)4] in high elevations the air pressure will decrease making it harder to obtain oxygen. According to Chandeliers principal the system will shift to the left. The stressor in this example would be pressure. One way equilibrium is used in the industry is the production of lime from limestone. The lime and carbon dioxide is created from calcium carbonate [CaCO3CaO+CO2] the reaction shifting right is endothermic therefore 178kJ of released heat energy will be absorbed when CaO is formed. The production of CaO is only possible in the condition of high temperatures. The stressors in this example is temperate and pressure because the less pressure the more C02 which means increasing production of lime. No matter if its only in chemistry class equilibrium is all around you.

 Citations 

Libretexts. “Overview: Significance of Chemical Equilibrium.” Chemistry LibreTexts, Libretexts, 3 June 2019, https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Analytical_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(Analytical_Chemistry)/Analytical_Sciences_Digital_Library/JASDL/Courseware/Chemical_Equilibrium/02_Text/01_Overview:_Significance_of_Chemical_Equilibrium. “Real World Applications.” Real World Applications | Chemistry Discipline Network, http://www.chemnet.edu.au/taxonomy/term/58