Final answer:
Keq is the equilibrium constant for a general chemical reaction, representing the ratio of product and reactant concentrations at equilibrium, while Kw is the ion-product constant specific for the autoionization of water, symbolizing the product of hydrogen and hydroxide ion concentrations in water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between Keq and Kw lies in what they represent in chemistry. The equilibrium constant (Keq) is a general term that applies to the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium for a given chemical reaction.
Each reaction has its own Keq, which varies with temperature but is constant for a given reaction at a constant temperature.
On the other hand, Kw is the ion-product constant for water. More specifically, Kw is the product of the concentrations of hydrogen ions ([H+]) and hydroxide ions ([OH-]) in water. At 25°C, the value of Kw for pure water is 1.0×10⁻¹⁴. It's important to note that this value changes with the temperature.
In comparison to the Keq of various reactions, Kw remains specific only to the autoionization of water and reflects the degree of dissociation into ions that H2O undergoes.