What does an arrow pointing in both directions in a chemical reaction mean?
1 answer
An arrow pointing in both directions in a chemical equation indicates that the reaction can proceed in both the forward and reverse direction. This means that reactants can react to form products, but products can also react to form reactants in the same reaction. This type of reaction is called a reversible reaction, and the point at which the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction is called the equilibrium point. The double arrow is used to show the reversible nature of the chemical reaction.