Avoiding general chemistry textbooks’ misrepresentations of chemical equilibrium constants

Abstract

This paper summarizes the misrepresentation of the the equilibrium constants in general chemistry textbooks. It is reported that there is a terminology problem as many authors state that practical equilibrium constants, viz. K_p and K_c, are unit-less quantities. Also, in many chemistry textbooks K_p plays the role of the thermodynamic equilibrium constant, Kº. Thus, after reviewing the proper definition of each of the terms analyzed, one problem is presented in order to exemplify the correct treatment of the quantities involved, which may help in the discussion and clarification of the misleading conventions and assumptions reported in this study. [African Journal of Chemical Education—AJCE 5(2), July 2015]