SYLLABUS POINTS

IQ1. What happens when chemical reactions do not go through to completion?

1.1 conduct practical investigations to analyse the reversibility of chemical reactions, for example:

- cobalt(II) chloride hydrated and dehydrated

- iron(III) nitrate and potassium thiocyanate

- burning magnesium

- burning steel wool

1.2 model static and dynamic equilibrium, and analyse the differences between open and closed systems

1.3 analyse examples of non-equilibrium systems in terms of the effect of entropy and enthalpy, for example:

- combustion reactions

- photosynthesis

1.4 investigate the relationship between collision theory and reaction rate in order to analyse chemical

equilibrium reactions

IQ2. What factors affect equilibrium and how?

2.1 investigate the effects of temperature, concentration, volume and/or pressure on a system at equilibrium and

explain how Le Châtelier’s principle can be used to predict such effects, for example:

2.2 explain the overall observations about equilibrium in terms of the collision theory

2.3 examine how activation energy and heat of reaction affect the position of equilibrium

IQ3. How can the position of equilibrium be described and what does the equilibrium constant represent?

3.1 deduce the equilibrium expression (in terms of K eq ) for homogeneous reactions occurring in solution

3.2 perform calculations to find the value of K eq and concentrations of substances within an equilibrium

system, and use these values to make predictions on the direction in which a reaction may proceed

3.3 qualitatively analyse the effect of temperature on the value of K eq

3.4 conduct an investigation to determine K eq of a chemical equilibrium system, for example the iron(III)

thiocyanate equilibrium

3.5 explore the use of K eq for different types of chemical reactions, including but not limited to:

– dissociation of ionic solutions

– dissociation of acids and bases

IQ4. How does solubility relate to chemical equilibrium?

4.1 describe and analyse the processes involved in the dissolution of ionic compounds in water

4.2 investigate the use of solubility equilibria by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples when removing

toxicity from foods, for example toxins in cycad fruit

4.3 conduct an investigation to determine solubility rules, and predict and analyse the composition of substances

when two ionic solutions are mixed, for example:

– potassium chloride and silver nitrate

– potassium iodide and lead nitrate

– sodium sulfate and barium nitrate

4.4 derive equilibrium expressions for saturated solutions in terms of Ksp and calculate the solubility of an ionic

substance from its Ksp value

4.5 predict the formation of a precipitate given the standard reference values for Ksp