If an inert gas is added to the equilibrium system at a constant temperature and a constant volume, the concentration of hydrogen will
A - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 2 - 2014 - Paper 1
Question 2
If an inert gas is added to the equilibrium system at a constant temperature and a constant volume, the concentration of hydrogen will
A. increase.
B. decrease.
C. n... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:If an inert gas is added to the equilibrium system at a constant temperature and a constant volume, the concentration of hydrogen will
A - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 2 - 2014 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. increase.
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Answer
Adding an inert gas to a system at constant volume doesn't change the partial pressure of the reacting gases. As such, it doesn't alter the concentration of hydrogen in the equilibrium expression. Hence, this option is incorrect.
Step 2
B. decrease.
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Answer
Similar reasoning applies here. The addition of an inert gas does not result in any decrease in the concentration of hydrogen. Therefore, this option is also incorrect.
Step 3
C. not change.
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Answer
In this scenario, the concentration of hydrogen does indeed remain unchanged since the inert gas does not participate in the reaction and doesn’t affect the overall equilibrium condition. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Step 4
D. decrease then increase.
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Answer
This statement is misleading. The concentration of hydrogen remains constant initially, and adding an inert gas will not cause it to decrease or increase. Thus, this option is not supported by the principles of chemical equilibrium.
