Reversible Reactions
A reversible reaction can go in both directions, so products can turn back into reactants.
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A reversible reaction can go in both directions, so products can turn back into reactants.
- Shown with a double arrow
- Can reach equilibrium
- Heating hydrated copper sulfate is reversible
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Reversible Reactions?
Within Chemistry, which covers atoms, bonding, reactions, the periodic table, organic chemistry and the chemistry of everyday life, this topic explains Reversible Reactions. Chemistry links what you can see in the lab to the particles and bonds behind it, so each topic here shows that link in a model.
Check that you can explain Reversible Reactions in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Reversible Reactions helps you explain why substances behave as they do, from cleaning products and food to medicines.
Reversible Reactions in detail
In a reversible reaction, the products can react to re-form the original reactants, shown by the ⇌ symbol. Hydrated copper sulfate (blue) loses water on heating to become white anhydrous copper sulfate, and the water can be added back to re-form the blue crystals.
The forward and reverse reactions have equal and opposite energy changes: if the forward reaction is exothermic, the reverse is endothermic. Many industrial processes, such as the Haber process, are reversible, so chemists must choose conditions that give the greatest amount of product.
How the interactive helps you understand Reversible Reactions
Watch the reaction model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the reaction model responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Reversible Reactions.
Real-life uses and examples
- Read a chemical equation or diagram and work out what Reversible Reactions shows.
- Explain Reversible Reactions in an exam by linking the particles involved to what you observe.
- Use Reversible Reactions to explain what happens in a lab experiment and why.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing what happens without explaining the particles or bonds involved.
- Mixing up the names of substances or ions when you describe Reversible Reactions.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Reversible Reactions
What is Reversible Reactions?
A reversible reaction can go in both directions, so products can turn back into reactants.
What are the most important points about Reversible Reactions?
The main points are: Shown with a double arrow; Can reach equilibrium; Heating hydrated copper sulfate is reversible.
Why is Reversible Reactions useful?
Understanding Reversible Reactions helps you explain why substances behave as they do, from cleaning products and food to medicines.
How can I practise Reversible Reactions?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Reversible Reactions?
Related topics in Chemistry include Fertilisers and Agriculture, Alkanes, Polymers.