The aim of this thread is to dispel any misunderstandings or mistruths within the subject of chemistry. Hopefully, this will give everyone a better understanding of the subject, allow everyone to revise chemistry concepts and stop students from falling into some of the common traps of understanding.
E.g. A pair of posts in this thread would be in the following form
Post 1: -
misunderstanding- (in italics or clearly labelled to reduce confusion)
Post 2: -explain what the truth actually is (at a year 11-12 level)
For example:
User 1: A system is in equilibrium when the forward and backward reactions stop occurring.User2: A system is in equilibrium when the rate of the forward and backward reactions are equal. Also, the concentrations of the reactants and products are constant.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in this thread whether you have just started studying chemistry this year or have a degree in it
I’ll begin
Misconception: Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions that would never occur in the absence of an enzyme