Discovering Equilibrium

Our physical sense of equilibrium suggests a balance of opposing forces—in the motion of a seesaw, for example. How does this physical sense of equilibrium translate to chemical equilibrium? What are the properties of a chemical system at equilibrium? What happens to the amounts of reactants and products when equilibrium is reached? What if more reactants or products are added to a system already at equilibrium? Discover the nature of equilibrium for the reversible combination reaction of Fe3+ and SCN– ions to give a new “complex ion” product.