🚀 go-pugleaf

Christopher Carrell (cjc@pandora.bio.purdue.edu) wrote:
: Your conclusion is correct, but I have to nitpick about the definition of
 equilibrium.
: The equilibrium constant of some reaction is equal to the ratio of the
 forward
: rate and the reverse rate of that reaction. If forward and backward rates are
: equal, the equilibrium constant is 1. In which case, we'd never talk about
: such-and -such a reaction is driven by ... at any rate, living organisms are
: _not_ in a state of equilibrium, but they can't get too far from it, either.

Dear Chris,
	I'll see your nit and raise you a nit.  The reaction rates are de-
termined by both the forward and backward rate constants and the activities
of the constituents of the reactions.  When the activities are equal to the
concentrations, we have for A + B -> C + D that the forward reaction rate
is k(f)[A][B] and the backward rate is k(b)[C][D], at equilibrium, these
rates are equal, and the equilibrium constant, k(f)/k(b) = K, is
[C][D]/[A][B].
				Yours,
				Bill Tivol