Equilibrium Constant of a Reversed Reaction
The constant obtained when a reaction is written in the opposite direction, equal to the reciprocal of the original.
Formula / equation
K_reverse = 1 / K_forward
Unit
Various
In depth
Reversing an equation swaps the numerator and denominator of the mass action expression. This is why a reaction that goes essentially to completion in one direction has an immeasurably small constant in the other, and why the direction must always be stated with a value.
Examples in the real world
If the formation of HI has K = 54, its decomposition has K = 1/54 = 0.0185 at the same temperature.