Kp

= 
pressure of products
pressure of reactants

Equilibrium constant of pressure – Kp

Pressure of a gas: Number of collisions between the particles and the walls of the container that it’s
in.

The Partial pressure of a gas is if it were alone in a container. E.g.

 N2
+ ¿ O2
= 100, 000 Pa = partial pressures  PN 2
PO 2

=80,000 Pa =20,000 Pa

Total pressure = PN + PO
2 2

Mole Fraction = number of moles of gas A

total number of moles of gas in mixture
Sum of all the mole fraction always equals 1.

How to calculate partial pressure?

If a mixture had 15 moles of nitrogen and 10 moles of oxygen, then the mole fraction of each
nitrogen and oxygen is

Nitrogen = 15 ÷ (15 + 10) = 0.6 – mole fraction

Oxygen = 10 ÷ (15 + 10) = 0.4 – mole fraction

If the mixture had a total pressure of 130 Pa, then to work out the partial pressure you,
PA
¿
Total pressure x mole fraction = 130 Pa x 0.6 = PN
=
 
2

for Nitrogen
¿ 78  Pa

130 Pa x 0.4 = PO
=
 
2

for Oxygen
52 Pa

Question: 5 mol of CO is reacted with 7 mol of H2 . At equilibrium, the pressure of the mixture is 400
Pa and the yield of CH
OH
3is 2 mol. Calculate the partial pressure of carbon monoxide in this
equilibrium mixture.
CO (g) + 2 H2  (g) ↔ C
H3 (g)
OH

First how many moles of gas there are in each equilibrium.

C

CO 2 H2  H3
OH

Initial moles 5 7 0
Change in moles -2 -4 +2
Equilibrium moles 3 3 2

Change in moles for CO = ¿ = 2  Equilibrium moles = 5-2 = 3

1
1

Change in moles for H2  = 2 × 2 = 4  Equilibrium moles = 7-4 = 3

1
3+3+2=8

CO  3 moles of CO = proportion of CO = 3 = mole fraction = 0.375  PCO = 0.375 × 400 = 150 Pa

8