Equilibrium: balance between rate, safety, environment and economics
I can describe how various factors influence the reaction conditions for industrial equilibria, and understand the trade-offs between production rate, equilibrium position, safety, and cost.
Equilibrium: balance between rate, safety, environment and economics
I can describe how various factors influence the reaction conditions for industrial equilibria, and understand the trade-offs between production rate, equilibrium position, safety, and cost.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Industrial equilibria involve a trade-off between production rate and equilibrium position.
- Temperature, pressure, surface area, concentration, and catalysts impact rates and equilibrium, often in opposing ways.
- High pressures and temperatures boost reaction rates but must balance safety and cost.
- High pressures are costly and increase equipment failure risk.
- Low temperatures slow reactions but can favour desired product in exothermic reactions.
Keywords
Equilibrium position - refers to the relative concentrations of reactants and products in a reversible reaction at equilibrium.
Dynamic equilibrium - occurs in a closed system when the forward and reverse reactions of a reversible chemical reaction are occurring at the same rate; and the concentrations of reactants and products remain constant.
Reaction rate - is the speed with which a chemical reaction takes place, measured by the amount of a reactant used or amount of product formed in a given time.
Haber process - an industrial method for producing ammonia.
Contact process - an industrial method for producing sulfuric acid.
Common misconception
Higher temperature/pressure always increases the yield of products in equilibrium reactions.
High temperature can decrease yield in exothermic reactions by shifting equilibrium toward reactants; high pressures can decrease yield where there are fewer gaseous moles of reactants than products.
To help you plan your year 11 chemistry lesson on: Equilibrium: balance between rate, safety, environment and economics, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 chemistry lesson on: Equilibrium: balance between rate, safety, environment and economics, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 chemistry lessons from the Industrial chemistry unit, dive into the full secondary chemistry curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
None required.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
At equilibrium, the relative concentrations of reactants and products.
Forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate.
Speed at which a chemical reaction takes place.
Industrial method for producing sulfuric acid.
Industrial method for producing ammonia.