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Ch.16 - Chemical Equilibrium
Chapter 16, Problem 90

A reaction vessel at 27 °C contains a mixture of SO2 (P = 3.00 atm) and O2 (P = 1.00 atm). When a catalyst is added, this reaction takes place: 2 SO2( g) + O2( g) ⇌ 2 SO3( g). At equilibrium, the total pressure is 3.75 atm. Find the value of Kc.

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Key Concepts

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

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. It is calculated using the formula Kc = [products]^[coefficients] / [reactants]^[coefficients]. A larger Kc indicates a greater concentration of products at equilibrium, while a smaller Kc suggests a higher concentration of reactants.
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Partial Pressure

Partial pressure is the pressure exerted by a single component of a gas mixture. According to Dalton's Law, the total pressure of a gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas. In this reaction, the partial pressures of SO2 and O2 before the reaction are crucial for determining the changes in pressure as the reaction proceeds to equilibrium.
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Le Chatelier's Principle

Le Chatelier's Principle states that if a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the system will adjust itself to counteract the change and restore a new equilibrium. In this context, adding a catalyst does not change the position of equilibrium but allows the system to reach equilibrium faster, which is important for calculating Kc based on the final pressures of the gases involved.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Consider the exothermic reaction: C2H4(g) + Cl2(g) ⇌ C2H4Cl2(g) If you were trying to maximize the amount of C2H4Cl2 produced, which tactic might you try? Assume that the reaction mixture reaches equilibrium. a. increasing the reaction volume b. removing C2H4Cl2 from the reaction mixture as it forms c. lowering the reaction temperature d. adding Cl2

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Textbook Question

Consider the endothermic reaction: C2H4(g) + I2(g) ⇌ C2H4I2(g) If you were trying to maximize the amount of C2H4I2 produced, which tactic might you try? Assume that the reaction mixture reaches equilibrium. a. decreasing the reaction volume b. removing I2 from the reaction mixture c. raising the reaction temperature d. adding C2H4 to the reaction mixture

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Textbook Question

Consider the reaction: H2(g) + I2(g) ⇌ 2 HI(g) A reaction mixture at equilibrium at 175 K contains PH2 = 0.958 atm, PI2 = 0.877 atm, and PHI = 0.020 atm. A second reaction mixture, also at 175 K, contains PH2 = PI2 = 0.621 atm and PHI = 0.101 atm. Is the second reaction at equilibrium? If not, what will be the partial pressure of HI when the reaction reaches equilibrium at 175 K?

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Textbook Question

At 70 K, CCl4 decomposes to carbon and chlorine. The Kp for the decomposition is 0.76. Find the starting pressure of CCl4 at this temperature that will produce a total pressure of 1.0 atm at equilibrium.

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Textbook Question

The equilibrium constant for the reaction SO2(g) + NO2(g) ⇌ SO3(g) + NO(g) is Kc = 3.0. Find the amount of NO2 that must be added to 2.4 mol of SO2 in order to form 1.2 mol of SO3 at equilibrium.

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Textbook Question

Carbon monoxide and chlorine gas react to form phosgene: CO(g) + Cl2(g) ⇌ COCl2(g) Kp = 3.10 at 700 K If a reaction mixture initially contains 215 torr of CO and 245 torr of Cl2, what is the mole fraction of COCl2 when equilibrium is reached?

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