Final answer:
In Chemistry, when combining equilibrium equations, the overall equilibrium constant (K(new)) is the product of the individual K values for the reactions involved, hence K(new) = K1 * K2. This rule applies when dealing with the addition of equilibrium reactions and the corresponding equilibrium constants.
Step-by-step explanation:
When adding two or more equilibrium equations together, the overall equilibrium constant, K(new), is not obtained by simply adding or subtracting the individual constants. Instead, you calculate the overall K by multiplying each reactions individual equilibrium constants (K values). Hence, when you combine the equilibrium reactions, if the initial constants are K1 and K2, the overall equilibrium constant, K(new), would be the mathematical product of those constants, represented as K(new) = K1 * K2.
Furthermore, if all coefficients in a balanced chemical equation are multiplied by a number n, then the new equilibrium constant for the reaction, K", is the original K raised to the power of n. This means K" = (K')^n. It is important to note that this is distinctly different from Hess's Law, where changes in enthalpy (∆H) for a series of reactions are additive rather than multiplicative.