Add the Equations, Multiply the K’s

You'll learnhow reversing, scaling, or adding reactions transforms K by reciprocal, power, and product.

Rewrite a reaction and its equilibrium constant follows by a fixed rule — but the rule on the left of the ledger never matches the rule on the right. Reverse the equation and K inverts; scale it and K takes a power; add two of them and the K’s multiply. Watch the mistake happen: two reactions added, and their K values added along with them. Twelve short steps; press Next for each one.

12 STEPS · 6 QUICK CHECKS · REVERSE ⇒ 1/K · SCALE ⇒ Kⁿ · ADD ⇒ K₁ × K₂ · v3

rewrite the equation and K follows, but never the same way

Before you start

What you're looking at

A ledger with the equation on the left and its equilibrium constant on the right, filling in one row at a time.

The question

You rewrite an equation without touching the chemistry, so what happens to its K each time?

Step 1 / 12