Question

Discuss a non-chemical way of demonstrating the concept of equilibrium as well as the concept of large and small K's and what each means in terms of the forward and reverse reaction rates.

Answer 1

You can imagine a reaction as a balance, if someone disturb the equilibrium putting a weight on the right; you, the system, have to put a weight on the left. The K's is a quotient: products over reactants, or, forward reaction constant over reverse reaction constant. If K is very large, it means that the forward reaction constant is bigger thant the reverse reaction forward. If K is very small, it means that the reverse reaction constant is bigger or almost the same than the forward reaction constant.