5(a) Nitrogen reacts with hydrogen to form ammonia - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2015 - Paper 1
Question 5
5(a) Nitrogen reacts with hydrogen to form ammonia.
(i) Which of these is the balanced equation for this reaction?
Put a cross (✗) in the box next to your answer.
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Worked Solution & Example Answer:5(a) Nitrogen reacts with hydrogen to form ammonia - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2015 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which of these is the balanced equation for this reaction?
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Answer
The correct balanced equation is:
C N₂ + 3H₂ ⇌ 2 NH₃
This equation indicates that one molecule of nitrogen reacts with three molecules of hydrogen to produce two molecules of ammonia.
Step 2
State the meaning of the symbol ⇌ in an equation.
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Answer
The symbol ⇌ indicates that the reaction is reversible, meaning that it can proceed in both the forward and backward directions, reaching a state of equilibrium.
Step 3
Use the information in the table to explain why urea might be the best fertiliser.
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Answer
Urea contains the highest percentage of nitrogen at 47%, which is essential for plant growth as it plays a crucial role in the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids. A higher nitrogen content means that urea can potentially provide more nutrients to plants compared to ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate. Additionally, the lower percentage of mass of oxygen in urea (27%) indicates that more of its mass is available for nitrogen, thus enhancing its effectiveness as a fertiliser.
