TECHNOLOGY REPORT

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Equilibrator: Modeling Chemical Equilibria with Excel

Douglas A. Vander Griend*
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, United States

ABSTRACT: Equilibrator is a Microsoft Excel program for

learning about chemical equilibria through modeling, similar in
function to EQS4WIN, which is no longer supported and does
not work well with newer Windows operating systems. Similar to
EQS4WIN, Equilibrator allows the user to define a system with
temperature, initial moles, and then either total pressure or
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volume. Unlike EQS4WIN, Equilibrator is designed to let the user find the point of equilibrium using a slider to shift the extent
of reaction. The program simultaneously calculates the reaction quotient, the Gibbs free energy, G, and ΔG; and immediately
updates pertinent graphs for feedback. With so many simultaneous ways to evaluate the position of the reaction with regard to
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equilibrium, Equilibrator is a superior pedagogical tool for helping students truly understand the basic principles of chemical
equilibria.
KEYWORDS: First-Year Undergraduate/General, Computer-Based Learning, Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives, Equilibrium,
Thermodynamics

M any undergraduate labs study chemical equilibria through

modeling. These often include systems such as the Haber

Bosch process for the production of ammonia, the rearrangement
of N2 and O2 to form NO in a combustion engine, the dimeriza-
tion of NO2, and the coordination of thiocyanate to aqueous
iron(III). The computer program EQS4WIN1 was commonly
used to model such equilibria at various pressures and tempera-
tures, but it is no longer supported and does not even work well
with Windows XP, let alone Vista.2 Equilibrator is a Microsoft
Excel file for learning about chemical equilibria through model-
ing. It is easy to use and transparent in function, and therefore a
superior pedagogical tool for helping students understand the
principles of chemical equilibria.
’ INTERFACE
The interface for the reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen
to form ammonia is shown in Figure 1. The program takes
advantage of many advanced features of Excel. Each chemical
system is set on an individual Excel worksheet, which can be
easily duplicated and modified to any system of interest. Pull-
down menus aid the user in defining the initial state of the system.a
Similar to EQS4WIN, Equilibrator allows the user to define a
system with exactly three variables: temperature, initial moles,
and either total pressure or volume. These are determined in the
cells with white background on the interface, and the displayed
units are automatically updated through the use of if statements.
Excel also provides a password-protected option for preventing
alterations to designated cells on a worksheet.b This is especially
useful when the program is being used by students. They can see
the formula of all the cells, but only change the contents of the
ones used to define the initial state of the system and dictate the
position of the slider and pull-down menus.
Unlike EQS4WIN, which determines the point of equilibrium
automatically, Equilibrator is designed to let the user find the
point of equilibrium. The key element of the program is the
slider, which is used to shift the extent of reaction from maximum
reactant to maximum product. Excel could be set up to find this
position automatically, but there is considerable pedagogical
value in having users determine this point for themselves. As
the slider is moved, the reaction quotient, Q, Gibbs free energy,
G, and ΔG are calculated directly for all momentary reaction
positions. (G is calculated as the integral of ΔG, assuming that
ΔG at the point of maximum reactant is zero). Two graphs are
also shown on the same sheet below the numerical entries: (i) the
initial and momentary pressures (or molarities) are shown as a
bar graph (Figure 2), and (ii) the Gibbs free energy is graphed
versus the extent of reaction, with the momentary value that
corresponds to the slider position superimposed on this curve
(Figure 3).c
’ CALCULATIONS
The program determines the reaction to be at equilibrium
when Q is within 0.1% of K (the equilibrium constant). This
typically occurs for just one to three positions on the slider scale,
which divides the full extent of reaction into 10 000 steps. The
slider can be dragged, clicked (20 steps), or stepped with arrows
to find the equilibrium position. The extreme left and right
positions of the slider come to within one step of zero and
maximum extent of reaction, respectively, to prevent division
by zero.
Ultimately, there are many ways that Equilibrator can be used
to determine the point of equilibrium:
1. Minimize the numerical value of the Gibbs free energy.
2. Position the red diamond at the minimum on the curve of
the Gibbs free energy.
3. Shift the numerical value of ΔG as close as possible to zero.
Published: October 04, 2011

Copyright r 2011 American Chemical Society and

Division of Chemical Education, Inc. 1727 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200119e | J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1727–1729
Journal of Chemical Education
Figure 1. Numerical interface for the Excel-based program, Equilibrator, which is designed to allow students to study the equilibrium position of an
arbitrary chemical reaction.
Figure 2. Bar graph comparing reagent quantities of the initial and
momentary state: equilibrium (top) or otherwise (bottom).
4. Shift the numerical value of Q as close as possible to that of
K.
5. Follow the directions under the slider which will say one of
three things:
Because there are many simultaneous ways to evaluate the
position of the reaction with regard to equilibrium, Equilibrator
is a superior pedagogical tool. Students can visually confirm how
these different criteria indicate the same reality. Consequently,
the one that makes the most intuitive sense to them can be used
as a stepping stone to comprehending the others.
’ ADAPTATION
The program has one major disadvantage compared to
EQS4WIN: it is not linked to any thermochemical database.
For each reaction, information must be provided so that Equili-
brator can calculate the equilibrium constant, K, for any tem-
perature. This is managed off-screen to the right on the
worksheet where up to six values, (A
F) can be entered to
1728
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Figure 3. Graph of Gibbs free energy, G, versus the extent of reaction
for the entire reaction coordinate, as well as the value for the momentary
state: equilibrium (top) or otherwise (bottom).
parameterize the following equation:
Ln K ¼ A þ B=T þ C ln K þ DT þ ET 2 þ FT 3
At present, Equilibrator has worksheets for the four systems
mentioned at the top of the article. If other systems are desired,
the existing worksheets can be easily duplicated and modified. In
some cases, the instructor could look up the necessary para-
meters to relate K and T in a database similar to that of JANAF.3
Alternatively, the program can be used to determine the numer-
ical value of K in a context where the equilibrium amounts are
being measured. (In this case, the curve of Figure 3 will be shifted
until its minimum is at the measured equilibrium point.) If
additional sheets are developed, please consider sending them to
the author so that he can include them with the program, which
will be available on the web.
dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200119e |J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1727–1729
Journal of Chemical Education TECHNOLOGY REPORT

’ ASSOCIATED CONTENT

bS Supporting Information
Excel sheets containing an introduction, N2O4, NH3, NO,
Fe(SCN) reactions, and notes. This material is available via the
Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.

’ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail: dvg@calvin.edu.

’ ADDITIONAL NOTE
a
Equilibrator requires the user to allow the macros that govern
the slider and drop-down menus. To permanently enable the
macros in this program, go to “Excel Options” under the “Office
Button” in the upper left-hand corner. Change the trust center
settings to enable digitally signed macros.
b
Worksheets are protected, meaning end-users can only change
the input cells. This can be turned off under Excel’s Review tab
with a password (dvg). The status of individual cells can be
altered under the “format cells” dialogue.
c
Do not use “smoothing” curves for graph as it often confuses the
automatically generated axis limits.

’ REFERENCES
(1) EQS4WIN: Chemical Equilibrium Software 4 Windows, Math-
Trek Systems.
(2) Mathtrek, Systems. www.mathtrek.com (November 18, 2009).
(3) Chase, M. W. Jr.; Davies, C. A.; Downey, J. R., Joint Army Navy
Air Force (JANAF) Thermochemical Tables. 3rd ed.; J. Phys. Chem. Ref.
Data 1985, 14 (Suppl 1), 1-1856.

1729 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200119e |J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 1727–1729