Methanol is broken down in the body during digestion - AQA - GCSE Chemistry - Question 9 - 2018 - Paper 2

From the balanced equation, 1 mole of CO reacts with 2 moles of H2. Therefore, for 4.0 x 10^3 moles of hydrogen, the moles of CO required can be calculated as follows:

rac{4.0 imes 10^3 ext{ moles H2}}{2} = 2.0 imes 10^3 ext{ moles CO}

The answer is 2.0 x 10^3 moles.

If the temperature is increased beyond 250 °C, the yield of methanol decreases. This is because the reaction is exothermic, and raising the temperature shifts the equilibrium to favor the endothermic reaction, resulting in a smaller yield of methanol.

Increasing the pressure favors the side of the reaction that produces fewer moles of gas. In this case, the reaction produces one mole of methanol (product) from one mole of carbon monoxide and two moles of hydrogen (reactants), totaling three moles of gas. Hence, the higher pressure shifts the equilibrium to the right, resulting in a greater yield of methanol.

A catalyst increases the rate of a reaction by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy. This allows more molecules to successfully collide and react per unit time, thus accelerating the reaction without being consumed in the process.

A catalyst is used in this industrial process because it provides a more efficient reaction pathway. It reduces the time and energy costs involved in producing methanol, making the process more economical.

The use of a catalyst does not affect the equilibrium yield of methanol; it only helps reach equilibrium faster. Thus, there is no change in the equilibrium position or composition.