Reaction Rates and Equilibrium WebQuest

Ever wonder how your body maintains homeostasis in so many different environments, weather and places?

Or why the parking lot always looks full despite cars constantly coming and leaving?

Or how factories can keep producing nitrogen gas for companies around the world?

This all has to do with EQUILIBRIUM!

Specifically chemical equilibrium and this cool french dude called Le Chatelier's (hint the r is silent!). 

But first, we need to learn about what a reaction rate is, factors that affect those rates and how a reaction reaches and maintains equilibrium. 

In this WebQuest you will learn about:

1. What reaction rates are and how they relate to energy and collisions 

2. How various factors affect rates of reactions

3. What chemical equilibrium is and how to identify when a reaction is at equilibrium

4. What Le Chatelier's principle says about equilibrium in a chemical system

5. How to predict reaction shifts to maintain equilibrium in a chemical system. 

Next Generation Science Standards Physical Science

HS-PS1-5: Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs

HS-PS1-6: Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium”

High School Chemistry Standards (NGSS, 2013).

Part 1: Reaction Rates

Go to: https://byjus.com/chemistry/rate-of-reaction/ 

1. What is the rate of reaction?

2. What is the collision theory?

3. Fill out the table on how these factors can affect reaction rates:

Part 2: Equilibrium

Go to: https://www.chem1.com/acad/webtext/chemeq/Eq-01.html

1. What is equilibrium?

2. Why do reactions go towards equilibrium?

3. What is a reversible reaction?

4. Why must a container or system be closed for equilibrium to be established?

5. A chemical reaction is in equilibrium when the rates are _____________ and the concentration of the reactants and products are _____________

Part 3: Le Chatelier's Principle

Watch the following video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgRRmxS3is

 Watch this video for extra information if you are struggling with the concept: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty9TczsW5ew

1. What does Le Chatelier's principle mean?

2. What is a stress on a chemical system?

3. If you add something (a reactant, product or heat/energy) will the reaction shift toward the side of the reaction to make even more of it, or will equilibrium shift in the direction to use it up?

4. If you remove a chemical or heat from a system, will the system shift toward the side that replaces what you took out or try to use even more of it?

5. Explain what happens when you increase pressure on a system that was at equilibrium?

6. Consider the following reversible reaction at equilibrium.The reaction is exothermic meaning it produces heat as a product. Predict which direction the reaction will shift after a change is made to the system. 

After you have finished the assignment complete the practice test at the end to evaluate your mastery: https://www.coursehero.com/practice-test/6b9f9324-5593-410f-8afe-6944489eb63c/  

Consider the close read we did on maintaining blood-oxygen levels in the human body. After this lesson, answer the following question, 

How does your body maintain blood-oxygen levels at different altitudes?

Describe how the reaction shifts according to Le Chatelier's principle citing evidence from the close read and this WebQuest assignment. 

References

BYJU’S. (2023, May 25). Rate of reaction - definition and factors affecting reaction rate. BYJUS. https://byjus.com/chemistry/rate-of-reaction/

Cognito. (2019, April 10). GCSE chemistry - reversible reactions and equilibrium #49. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty9TczsW5ew

Lower, S. (2017, October 28). Introduction. Chemical Equilibrium. https://www.chem1.com/acad/webtext/chemeq/Eq-01.html

Next Generation Science Standards. (2013). High School Physical Sciences. nextgenscience.org. https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/HS PS topics combined 6.12.13.pdf   

Professor Dave. (2015, December 28). Le Chatelier’s Principle. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgRRmxS3is 

Students will receive a completion grade (70%) and a grade on correct answers (30%).

This will be graded as a formal assessment and put into the grade books as a homework assignment.