At standard conditions, a biochemical reaction has a Keq of 4,000

At standard conditions, a biochemical reaction has a Keq of 4,000. The reaction favors the

The correct answer and explanation is:

Correct Answer:
The reaction favors the products.

Explanation (approx. 300 words):

In biochemistry and chemistry, the equilibrium constant (Keq) gives important information about the balance between reactants and products in a reversible reaction under standard conditions (usually 25°C, 1 atm, and 1 M concentrations).

The equilibrium constant is defined as: Keq=[Products][Reactants]Keq = \frac{[Products]}{[Reactants]}

A Keq > 1 means that at equilibrium, the concentration of products is higher than the concentration of reactants — the reaction favors the products.
A Keq < 1 means the reverse — the reaction favors the reactants.
If Keq = 1, both reactants and products are present in equal concentrations at equilibrium.

In this case, the given Keq is 4,000, which is much greater than 1. This indicates that at equilibrium, the concentration of products is 4,000 times greater than that of the reactants. Therefore, the position of equilibrium lies far to the right, meaning the reaction strongly favors the formation of products.

This high Keq also implies that the standard Gibbs free energy change (ΔG°) for the reaction is negative, which further supports that the reaction is spontaneous under standard conditions. The relationship between ΔG° and Keq is given by: ΔG∘=−RTln⁡Keq\Delta G^\circ = -RT \ln K_{eq}

Where:

• RR is the gas constant (8.314 J/mol·K)
• TT is the temperature in Kelvin
• ln⁡Keq\ln K_{eq} is the natural logarithm of the equilibrium constant

Since ln(4000) is positive, multiplying it by -RT gives a negative ΔG°, indicating a spontaneous reaction toward product formation.

In summary, a Keq of 4,000 clearly shows that under standard conditions, the reaction overwhelmingly favors the products.