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Ch.15 - Chemical Equilibrium
Chapter 15, Problem 154b

Acetic acid tends to form dimers, (CH3CO2H2), because of hydrogen bonding: The equilibrium constant Kc for this reaction is 1.51⨉102 in benzene solution but only 3.7⨉10-2 in water solution. (b) Calculate the ratio of dimers to monomers for 0.100 M acetic acid in water.

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1
Identify the equilibrium reaction for the dimerization of acetic acid: 2 \text{CH}_3\text{CO}_2\text{H} \rightleftharpoons (\text{CH}_3\text{CO}_2\text{H})_2.
Write the expression for the equilibrium constant, K_c, for the reaction: K_c = \frac{[(\text{CH}_3\text{CO}_2\text{H})_2]}{[\text{CH}_3\text{CO}_2\text{H}]^2}.
Substitute the given K_c value for water (3.7 \times 10^{-2}) into the equilibrium expression.
Let x be the concentration of dimers at equilibrium. Then, the concentration of monomers at equilibrium is (0.100 - 2x) M.
Solve the equation 3.7 \times 10^{-2} = \frac{x}{(0.100 - 2x)^2} to find the ratio of dimers to monomers, \frac{x}{0.100 - 2x}.

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Key Concepts

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

Hydrogen Bonding

Hydrogen bonding is a type of intermolecular force that occurs when a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, experiences an attraction to another electronegative atom. In the case of acetic acid, the hydrogen bonds between molecules lead to the formation of dimers, which significantly affects the concentration of monomers and dimers in solution.
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Equilibrium Constant (Kc)

The equilibrium constant (Kc) is a numerical value that expresses the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium for a given reaction at a specific temperature. In this context, Kc indicates the extent to which acetic acid forms dimers in different solvents, with higher values suggesting a greater tendency to form dimers, as seen in benzene compared to water.
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Concentration and Ratio Calculations

Concentration refers to the amount of a substance in a given volume of solution, typically expressed in molarity (M). To calculate the ratio of dimers to monomers in a solution of acetic acid, one must use the equilibrium constant and the initial concentration to determine the concentrations of both species at equilibrium, allowing for the calculation of their ratio.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

The equilibrium constant Kc for the gas-phase thermal decomposition of cyclopropane to propene is 1.0 ⨉105 at 500 K:

(a) What is the value of Kp at 500 K?

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Textbook Question

The equilibrium constant Kc for the gas-phase thermal decomposition of cyclopropane to propene is 1.0 * 105 at 500 K:

(c) Can you alter the ratio of the two concentrations at equilibrium by adding cyclopropane or by decreasing the volume of the container? Explain.

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Textbook Question

Acetic acid tends to form dimers, (CH3CO2H2), because of hydrogen bonding: The equilibrium constant Kc for this reaction is 1.51⨉102 in benzene solution but only 3.7⨉10-2 in water solution. (a) Calculate the ratio of dimers to monomers for 0.100 M acetic acid in benzene.

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Open Question
A 125.4 g quantity of water and an equal molar amount of carbon monoxide were placed in an empty 10.0-L vessel, and the mixture was heated to 700 K. At equilibrium, the partial pressure of CO was 9.80 atm. The reaction is CO(g) + H2O(g) ⇌ CO2(g) + H2(g). (a) What is the value of Kp at 700 K? (b) An additional 31.4 g of water was added to the reaction vessel, and a new state of equilibrium was achieved. What are the equilibrium partial pressures of each gas in the mixture? What is the concentration of H2 in molecules/cm³?
Textbook Question
A 79.2 g chunk of dry ice (solid CO2) and 30.0 g of graphite (carbon) were placed in an empty 5.00-L container, and the mixture was heated to achieve equilibrium. The reaction is CO 1g2 + C s ∆ 2 CO g (b) What is the value of Kp at 1100 K if the gas density at 1100 K is 16.9 g/L?
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Open Question
The amount of carbon dioxide in a gaseous mixture of CO2 and CO can be determined by passing the gas into an aqueous solution that contains an excess of Ba(OH)2. The CO2 reacts, yielding a precipitate of BaCO3, but the CO does not react. This method was used to analyze the equilibrium composition of the gas obtained when 1.77 g of CO2 reacted with 2.0 g of graphite in a 1.000-L container at 1100 K. The analysis yielded 3.41 g of BaCO3. Use these data to calculate Kp at 1100 K for the reaction CO2(g) + C(s) ⇌ 2 CO(g).