Final answer:
To determine if a reaction mixture at equilibrium favors reactants or products, the equilibrium constant (K) is assessed. Values of K >> 10³ suggest favoring of products, K << 10⁻³ suggest favoring of reactants, and K values between 10³ and 10⁻³ indicate significant amounts of both at equilibrium. The reaction quotient (Q) predicts the direction of the reaction before equilibrium is reached.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing whether a reaction mixture will favor reactants or products at equilibrium, one must consider the equilibrium constant (K). If the equilibrium constant is much larger than 10³, the reaction will consist of essentially only products. Conversely, if K is much smaller than 10⁻³, the reaction will consist of essentially only reactants. For equilibrium constants that range between 10³ and 10⁻³, the reaction mixture will contain appreciable amounts of both reactants and products.
To predict the direction of the reaction at any point before reaching equilibrium, we observe the reaction quotient (Q). This is a measure of the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants in the reaction mixture at any given moment. If Q is less than K, the reaction will proceed in the forward direction, favoring the formation of more products. If Q is greater than K, the reaction will favor reactants, moving in the reverse direction until equilibrium is achieved and Q equals K.
For a sealed container with an initial concentration of 0.10 M for all substances, and without knowing the exact values of the equilibrium constants for specific reactions, one cannot definitively state which direction the reaction will proceed without additional information. However, if the given reaction has an equilibrium constant in the range previously mentioned, the mixture would indeed proceed toward equilibrium, where both reactants and products are in a dynamic balance.