Consider this chemical equation - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 29 - 2013 - Paper 1

No, the reaction will not occur spontaneously. To assess spontaneity, we can refer to the standard electrode potentials for the half-reactions involved in the equation.

The half-reaction for chlorine is:

$Cl_2(g) + 2e^- \rightarrow 2Cl^-(aq), \quad E^\circ = -1.36 \text{ V}$

And for bromine:

$Br_2(l) + 2e^- \rightarrow 2Br^-(aq), \quad E^\circ = +1.08 \text{ V}$

Calculating the overall standard potential ( $E^\circ_{cell}$ ) involves combining these half-reactions, leading to a total of:

$E^\circ_{cell} = -1.36 + 1.08 = -0.28 \text{ V}$

The negative cell potential confirms that the reaction does not have a tendency to proceed in the forward direction spontaneously.