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Types Of An Equilibrium System

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STSE: Equilibrium Systems
1. Choose a process which uses an equilibrium system.
How calcium oxalate kidney stones form in a human body?
Calcium oxalate stones are the most common type of kidney stones to form. They are solid masses that form within the kidney because of a great amount of oxalate in one’s urine and too little liquid. Oxalate is found in foods, and when the body is done processing the nutrients it requires from digestion, waste products travel to the kidneys. The kidneys make urine which removes these waste products, however if there are too many waste products present in too little liquid, there are crystals that form. Crystals will then stick together to form a kidney stone which can’t get passed through and out of the body as urine. Crystals that are specific to kidney stones are formed of oxalate which sticks to calcium also found in the kidneys. The formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones is an equilibrium system.

2. Write the balanced equation for the system.
CaC2O4 (s) (-- removed HTML --) Ca2+(aq) + C2O42- (aq)

The forward reaction for this reversible reaction shows calcium oxalate breaking down into calcium and oxalate ions.
The reverse reaction is where calcium and oxalate ions form calcium oxalate kidney stones.

3. Explain the shifts that occur in this equilibrium using Le Chatelier’s Principle.
In terms of Le Chatelier’s Principle, there are changes in concentration, temperature, volume and pressure that can occur to

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