At a conference, a speaker presents the following four statements about chemical equilibrium. Evaluate the validity of each statement, providing a concise justification grounded in chemical principles.
Statement 1: “If K≫1, adding more catalyst will increase the equilibrium constant even further.”
Statement 2: “A reaction with K≪1 will always have ΔG∘>0.”
Statement 3: “When K is close to 1, the forward and reverse reaction rates must be identical at all times.”
Statement 4: “A very small K indicates that the reactants are inherently more stable than the products under the specified conditions.”
For each statement:
(a) Indicate whether the statement is correct or incorrect.
(b) Provide a qualitative or quantitative argument that supports your evaluation, explicitly referencing the relationship among K, ΔG∘, and relative stability where appropriate.
(c) For any incorrect statement, rewrite it so that it becomes a true and informative claim about chemical equilibrium.