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- Jan 9, 2014
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Which of the following Keq values is bigger? (1.95atm^-1) or (2.1 x 10^4 atm-1).
At first I thought that 2.1 x 10^4 atm^-1 would obviously be bigger, but then I saw that it was "atm^-1", and thought that meant that its actually 1/(2.1 x 10^4 atm), so in actuality 1/(1.95atm) is greater than 1/(2.1 x 10^4 atm). BUT turns out that's wrong.....
Does the "atm^-1" mean that the whole value is 1/(#units) or does it mean that only the "atm" is 1/atm (so units goes to denominator and # stays in the numerator)? I read the explanation in the book but it doesn't address this aspect...
I hope I made my question clear...thanks!
At first I thought that 2.1 x 10^4 atm^-1 would obviously be bigger, but then I saw that it was "atm^-1", and thought that meant that its actually 1/(2.1 x 10^4 atm), so in actuality 1/(1.95atm) is greater than 1/(2.1 x 10^4 atm). BUT turns out that's wrong.....
Does the "atm^-1" mean that the whole value is 1/(#units) or does it mean that only the "atm" is 1/atm (so units goes to denominator and # stays in the numerator)? I read the explanation in the book but it doesn't address this aspect...
I hope I made my question clear...thanks!