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Methanol, CH₃OH, is made in industry by reacting carbon monoxide with hydrogen - OCR Gateway - GCSE Chemistry - Question 20 - 2023 - Paper 4
Question 20
Methanol, CH₃OH, is made in industry by reacting carbon monoxide with hydrogen. This is the equation for the reaction: CO(g) + 2H₂(g) ⇌ CH₃OH(g) The forward react... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Methanol, CH₃OH, is made in industry by reacting carbon monoxide with hydrogen - OCR Gateway - GCSE Chemistry - Question 20 - 2023 - Paper 4
Step 1
Describe and explain the effect on the yield of methanol from using a pressure of 15 atmospheres.
Answer
Using a pressure of 15 atmospheres would decrease the yield of methanol because lower pressures favor the reactants in equilibriums governed by Le Chatelier's principle. As there are fewer moles of gas on the product side (1 mole of CH₃OH) than the reactant side (1 mole of CO and 2 moles of H₂), increasing the pressure shifts the equilibrium to the right, producing more methanol. Hence, a lower pressure results in a reduced yield.
Step 2
Suggest why a temperature of 150°C is not used in industry.
Answer
A temperature of 150°C is not used in industry because while it increases the yield of methanol, it significantly slows down the reaction rate. The reaction kinetics at lower temperatures are less favorable, leading to longer production times, which is not ideal for industrial processes where efficiency and speed are important.
Step 3
Describe the effect on the position of equilibrium from using a catalyst.
Answer
A catalyst speeds up the rate of the reaction by providing an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy. However, it does not affect the position of equilibrium. The catalyst allows the reaction to reach equilibrium faster but does not change the concentrations of reactants and products at equilibrium.
Step 4