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Consider the following system which is at equilibrium in a rigid, sealed container - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 23 - 2022 - Paper 1
Question 23
Consider the following system which is at equilibrium in a rigid, sealed container. 4NH3(g) + 5O2(g) ⇌ 4NO(g) + 6H2O(g) ΔH = -950 kJ mol⁻¹ (a) Identify what would ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Consider the following system which is at equilibrium in a rigid, sealed container - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 23 - 2022 - Paper 1
Step 1
Identify what would happen to the amount of NO(g) if the temperature was increased.
Answer
When the temperature is increased in an exothermic reaction, such as this one where ΔH is negative, the system shifts to the left to absorb the excess heat. As a result, the amount of NO(g) would decrease.
Step 2
Explain why a catalyst does not affect the equilibrium position of this system.
Answer
A catalyst increases the rate of both the forward and reverse reactions equally. Therefore, while it speeds up the attainment of equilibrium, it does not affect the concentration of the reactants or products at equilibrium, leaving the overall equilibrium position unchanged.
Step 3
Using collision theory, explain what would happen to the concentration of NO(g) if H2O(g) was removed from the system.
Answer
Removing H2O(g) decreases the concentration of products in the system. According to collision theory, this reduction will result in fewer effective collisions between reactants, which will shift the equilibrium to the right to produce more NO(g) in an effort to reach a new equilibrium state.