Using either the initial concentrations or initial activities of all the components of the reaction, the progression of an reaction can easily be determined. The reaction quotient, q, is a measure of the status of an equilibrium system When q is lesser than the equilibrium constant, k, the reaction will proceed in the forward direction until equilibrium is reached and q = k. The lowercase letters (a, b, p, and q) represent stoichiometric coefficients, while the capital letters represent the reactants (a and b) and the products (p and q).
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