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Jada Brown 2H wrote:Are all acid and base reactions at equilibrium?
For weak acids and bases, we usually write their reactions with equilibrium arrows, but for strong acids and bases we usually write their equations with a single arrow pointing forward to indicate that the strong acid completely dissociates. However, Lavelle did mention that for strong acids and bases, we can also draw an equilibrium sign, but with the reverse arrow being really small compared to the forward arrow to indicate the favorability of the forward reaction.
No, like any other reaction. There are times in which the reaction is at equilibrium and times in which it is not. However Kw of an acid-base reaction at 25 C, is always 1x10^-14. That is constant when the reaction is at equilibrium.
Like others have said, acid and base reactions are not always at equilibrium. However, it is important to note that when we do calculations for pH, pKa, and pKb, these values will be based on equilibrium concentrations. This is especially important when considering weak acids/bases' dissociation. It is at equilibrium when we measure how much a weak acid or base has dissociated so the equilibrium constants of Ka and Kb are based on this, and we'll learn how to use these to find pH of those weak acids/bases.
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