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Ch.15 - Chemical Equilibrium
Chapter 15, Problem 8a

The reaction A2 + B2 ⇌ 2 AB has an equilibrium constant Kc = 1.5. The following diagrams represent reaction mixtures containing A2 molecules (red), B2 molecules (blue), and AB molecules. (a) Which reaction mixture is at equilibrium?

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Chemical Equilibrium

Chemical equilibrium occurs when the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, resulting in constant concentrations of reactants and products. In the context of the given reaction, A2 and B2 combine to form AB, and at equilibrium, the concentrations of A2, B2, and AB remain unchanged over time.
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Equilibrium Constant (Kc)

The equilibrium constant, Kc, quantifies the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium for a given reaction at a specific temperature. For the reaction A2 + B2 ⇌ 2 AB, Kc = [AB]^2 / ([A2][B2]). A Kc value of 1.5 indicates that at equilibrium, the concentration of AB is greater than that of A2 and B2, suggesting a tendency towards product formation.
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Le Chatelier's Principle

Le Chatelier's Principle states that if a system at equilibrium is disturbed by changes in concentration, temperature, or pressure, the system will adjust to counteract the disturbance and restore a new equilibrium. This principle helps predict how the equilibrium position will shift in response to changes in the concentrations of A2, B2, or AB in the reaction mixture.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

When lead(IV) oxide is heated above 300°C, it decomposes according to the reaction, 2 PbO2(𝑠) ⇌ 2PbO(𝑠) + O2(𝑔). Consider the two sealed vessels of PbO2 shown here. If both vessels are heated to 400°C and allowed to come to equilibrium, which of the following statements is or are true? a. There will be less PbO2 remaining in vessel A,

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Textbook Question

When lead(IV) oxide is heated above 300°C, it decomposes according to the reaction, 2 PbO2(𝑠)⇌2PbO(𝑠)+O2(𝑔). Consider the two sealed vessels of PbO2 shown here. If both vessels are heated to 400°C and allowed to come to equilibrium, which of the following statements is or are true?

b. There will be less PbO2 remaining in vessel B,

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Textbook Question

When lead(IV) oxide is heated above 300°C, it decomposes according to the reaction, 2 PbO2(𝑠) ⇌ 2PbO(𝑠) + O2(𝑔). Consider the two sealed vessels of PbO2 shown here. If both vessels are heated to 400°C and allowed to come to equilibrium, which of the following statements is or are true? (c) The amount of PbO2 remaining in each vessel will be the same. [Find more in Section 15.4]

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Textbook Question

The diagram shown here represents the equilibrium state for the reaction A2(𝑔) + 2B(𝑔) ⇌ 2AB(𝑔). (a) Assuming the volume is 2 L, calculate the equilibrium constant 𝐾𝑐 for the reaction.

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Textbook Question

Suppose that the gas-phase reactions A → B and B → A are both elementary reactions with rate constants of 4.7×10−3  s−1 and 5.8×10−1 s−1, respectively. (b) Which is greater at equilibrium, the partial pressure of A or the partial pressure of B?

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Textbook Question

The equilibrium constant for the dissociation of molecular iodine, I2(𝑔) ⇌ 2 I(𝑔), at 800 K is 𝐾𝑐 = 3.1×10−5. (b) Assuming both forward and reverse reactions are elementary reactions, which reaction has the larger rate constant, the forward or the reverse reaction?

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