Question

The equilibrium constant (K) for the reaction Y->X can be expressed with respect to the concentrations of the reactant and product molecules. Which of the expressions below shows the correct relationship between K, [Y], and [X]?

(a) K = [Y]/[X]
(b) K = [Y] * [X]
(c) K = [X]/[Y]
(d) K = [X] - [Y]

Answer 1

The correct expression for the equilibrium constant (K) in relation to the concentrations of reactant [Y] and product [X] is (c) K = [X]/[Y], since the equilibrium constant is the ratio of product concentration to reactant concentration.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct expression that shows the relationship between the equilibrium constant (K), the concentration of the reactant [Y], and the product [X] for the given reaction Y → X is K = [X]/[Y]. So the correct option is (c) K = [X]/[Y]. This is because the equilibrium constant expression for a reaction is the ratio of the concentration of the products to the concentration of the reactants, each raised to the power of their coefficients in the balanced chemical equation.

For example, for a generic reaction aA + bB → cC + dD, the equilibrium constant expression would be Keq = [C]c[D]d / [A]a[B]b.