Final answer:
A large equilibrium constant means the reaction significantly favors the products, indicating a higher concentration of products versus reactants at equilibrium. It is a crucial concept for predicting chemical reaction outcomes and performing equilibrium calculations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Large equilibrium constants indicate a reaction that highly favors the formation of products over reactants. When the equilibrium constant (K) is large (for example, greater than 10³), it suggests that at equilibrium, the concentration of products is significantly higher than that of the reactants, reflecting a reaction where the forward process is substantially favored. Conversely, a small K value indicates that the reaction mixture consists mostly of unreacted reactants, and the reaction does not proceed extensively towards the products.
An equilibrium constant is calculated as the ratio of the concentrations (or partial pressures) of products to reactants. Hence, with a large K value, one can infer that most of the material at equilibrium consists of products. In contrast, when K is less than 10⁻³, the reaction favors reactants, leading to a small proportion of products at equilibrium. This concept is crucial for predicting the outcome of chemical reactions and for performing calculations with equilibrium constants.