In a class activity, students used red and blue beads to model the reaction:
A (red bead) ⇌ B (blue bead)
At first, there were 10 red beads and 0 blue beads. Every 30 seconds, a certain number of red beads were converted to blue (forward reaction), and later, blue beads began converting back to red (reverse reaction). After a few minutes, the number of red and blue beads stayed constant, even though beads were still being exchanged.
Prompt:
Use the data from the model to answer this question:
“What does the bead model demonstrate about chemical equilibrium?”
Answer (1)
Answer:The bead model demonstrates that chemical equilibrium is a dynamic process where the forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate. Even though individual red beads (A) continue to convert to blue (B), and blue beads convert back to red, the overall number of red and blue beads remains constant once equilibrium is reached. This shows that at equilibrium, the concentrations of reactants and products do not change, even though the reactions are still happening.
