K Lives in the Last Row

You'll learnwhy only the equilibrium row of an ICE table may be used to compute K.

An ICE table is bookkeeping rather than algebra: three rows, one unknown, and a strict rule about which row is allowed to touch K. Watch the mistake happen — the equilibrium constant computed from the concentrations you poured in, before the reaction had done anything at all. Twelve short steps; press Next for each one.

12 STEPS · 6 QUICK CHECKS · A ⇌ 2 B · I / C / E · K = [B]²/[A] = 0.53 · v4

three rows, one unknown, and only one row K may see

Before you start

What you're looking at

A three-row ICE table for A reversibly forming 2 B, with concentration bars beside it showing A settling.

The question

You charged 0.50 M of A and measured [A] = 0.30 M at equilibrium, so what is K?

Step 1 / 12