What does reversible mean?

Reversible is a term used for certain reactions that never reach a final stage. So imagine we have A and B reacting together to form C, and we say that this reaction is reversible. So at a point in time, in the container where we mixed the two reactants in order to create C, we have all three componenents - that is A, B and C. How much of each component we have at that time depends on the kind of reversible reaction. If a reaction is irreversible and goes to completion then at that point when the reaction is complete we would only have C in the container. However, for reversible reactions, C can go back to being A and B on its own and that is why the reaction is reversible and in the container all three components can be found at a time point.

AT
Answered by Antonis T. Chemistry tutor

2501 Views

See similar Chemistry GCSE tutors

Related Chemistry GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Describe the difference between ionic and covalent bonds


Why can graphite conduct electricity but diamond cant?


balance equation : PCl5 + 4H2O → H3PO4 + HCl


Why is the Haber Process run at 450 °C instead of room temperature?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences