TUTORIAL 6.

0: CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM

1 (a) Define reversible reaction.

(b) State two characteristics of a system in equilibrium.

2 (a) Define homogeneous and heterogeneous equilibria.

(b) Determine whether the following reactions are homogeneous or

heterogeneous.
i. 2PCl3(g) + O2(g) 2POCl3(g)

ii. FeO(s) + CO(g) Fe(s) + CO2(g)

iii. Ag+ (aq) + Fe2+(aq) Ag(s) + Fe3+(aq)

iv. 3Fe(s) + 4H2O(l) Fe3O4(s) + 4H2(g)

(c) Write the equilibrium law for the above reactions in terms of
concentration, Kc, and partial pressure, Kp.

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3 At equilibrium, there are 2.50 moles of SO2 , 1.35×10-5 moles of

O2 and 8.70 moles of SO3 present in a 12.0 L flask.
Calculate the equilibrium constant, Kc, for the reaction at 700oC.
2SO2(g) + O2(g) 2SO3(g)

4 The partial pressures of PCl3, O2 and POCl3 at equilibrium are 5.05, 2.50 and 101 kPa
respectively. Calculate the equilibrium constant, KP, for the reaction.
2PCl3(g) + O2(g) 2POCl3(g)

5 At 25oC, H2O(l) reached equilibrium according to the equation,

H2O(l) H2O (g)
Calculate Kp and Kc for the reaction.
[vapour pressure of water at 25oC = 23.8 torr]

6 Nitrogen dioxide dimerised according to the equation,

2NO2(g) N2O4(g) Kp = 7.13 atm–1
At equilibrium, the partial pressure of NO2 in a container is 0.15 atm.
Calculate the partial pressure of N2O4 in the mixture.

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7 The following reaction achieved equilibrium when the partial pressure of bromine gas
is 0.60 atm.
FeBr3(s) FeBr2(s) + ½ Br2(g)
(a) Determine KP.
(b) Derive KP = KC (RT)1/2.

8 For the following equilibrium,

2SO2(g) + O2(g) 2SO3(g) Kp = 3×105 at 25oC
determine Kc.

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9 1.00 mol each of CO and Cl2 are introduced into an evacuated 1.75 L flask.
At equilibrium, the total pressure of the gaseous mixture is 32.4 atm.
Calculate Kp at 395oC.
CO(g) + CI2(g) COCl2(g)

10 Ammonium hydrogen sulfide decomposes according to the reaction.

NH4HS (s) NH3 (g) + H2S (g) KP = 0.11 at 250oC .
If 55.0 g of solid NH4HS is placed in a sealed 5.0 L container, what is the partial
pressure of NH3 and H2S at equilibrium?

11 Bromine gas is allowed to reach equilibrium according to the equation,

Br2 (g) 2Br (g) Kc = 1.1×10-3 at 1280oC
If the initial concentrations of Br2 and Br are 0.063 M and 0.012 M respectively,
calculate the concentrations of these species at equilibrium.

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TUTORIAL 6.0: CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM

12 If 0.024 mol of N2O4 is allowed to reach equilibrium with NO2 in a 0.372 L flask at
25oC,
N2O4(g) 2NO2(g) Kc = 4.61×10-3

calculate the degree of dissociation of N2O4.

13 At 430oC, the equilibrium constant, Kc, for the reversible reaction is 4.18×10-3.
H2(g) + I2(g) 2HI(g)
If 0.04 mol of HI, 0.01 mol of H2 and 0.03 mol of I2 are initially placed in a 2.0 L
container, is the system at equilibrium? Explain.

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14 Chloromethane is formed by the reaction;

CH4(g) + Cl2(g) CH3Cl(g) + HCl(g) Kp = 1.6×104 at 1500 K
In the reaction mixture, the partial pressures of CH4, Cl2 , CH3Cl and HCl are
0.13 atm, 0.035 atm, 0.24 atm and 0.47 atm respectively.
Determine whether more CH3Cl or CH4 is formed.

15 (a) State Le Chatelier’s principle.

(b) Consider the following equilibrium system:

4NH3(g) + 3O2(g) 2N2(g) + 6H2O(g) Δ H = -1531 kJ
Determine in which direction will the reaction shift to reestablish equilibrium
if the system is disturbed by:
i. adding O2.

ii. removing NH3.

iii. increasing the temperature.

16 Decomposition of ethane produces ethene and hydrogen gas.

C2H6(g) C2H4(g) + H2(g) ΔH = + ve
By using Le Chatelier’s principle, explain the shift in equilibrium position, if any, of
the reaction if
(a) the concentration of hydrogen gas is decreased.

(b) the temperature is lowered.

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(c) a catalyst is added.

(d) C2H6 is removed from the system.

(e) the volume of the container is increased.

(f) the pressure is increased.

(g) an inert gas is added at constant pressure.

(h) an inert gas is added at constant volume.

17 Nitrogen(IV) oxide dimerised as follows;

2NO2(g) N2O4 (g) ΔH = - ve
Based on Le Chatelier’s principle, explain how the product could be increased.

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TUTORIAL 6.0: CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM

Objective Questions

1 Which is the correct statement for a chemical equilibrium?

A The rate of the forward reaction is the same as that of the reverse
reaction.
B The total concentration of product equals that of reactants.
C The rate constant of forward reaction equals that of the reverse reaction.
D The product of equilibrium concentration of products and reactants equals to
the Kc value.

2 A mixture of gases is allowed to reach equilibrium at 7000C in a 12.0 L flask. At

equilibrium, the mixture contains 0.208 M SO2 , 1.12×10-6 M O2 and 0.725 M SO3.

2SO2(g) + O2(g) 2SO3 (g)

What is the equilibrium constant, Kc?

A 9.22 x 10-8
B 3.11 x 106
C 1.08 x 107
D 4.56 x 108

3 The reaction of carbon and carbon dioxide reached equilibrium according to the
equation,

C(s) + CO2(g) 2CO (g) K c = 0.122 M at 1100 K

what is the value of Kp for this reaction?

A 0.035 atm
B 0.12 atm
C 11 atm
D 945 atm

4 In which the of the following equilibrium systems will the product concentration
increase by using higher pressure?

A N2O4(g) 2NO2(g)
B O2(g) + C(s) 2CO(g)
C SbCl5(g) SbCl3(g) + Cl2(g)
D 2SO2(g) + O2(g) 2SO3(g)

5 Which of the following statements is correct about the reaction quotient, Qc, and the
equilibrium constant, Kc?

A For a reaction, Kc is larger than Qc.

B For a reaction, Qc and Kc have the same value.
C The reaction mixture is richer in products if Qc < Kc.
D The value of Qc changes until it reaches the value of Kc at equilibrium.

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6 In the Haber process, the equilibrium between H2 ,N2 and NH3 is shown;

N2(g) +3H2(g) 2NH3(g) ∆H= -ve

What are the ideal conditions needed to obtain the maximum yield of NH3?

A Low pressure, low temperature

B Low pressure, high temperature
C High pressure, low temperature
D High pressure, high temperature

7 Consider the following reaction:

2NaHCO3(s) Na2CO3(s) + CO2(g) + H2O(g) Kp = 0.23

A sample of NaHCO3 is placed in an evacuated flask and is allowed to achieve

equilibrium at 373 K. What is the total gas pressure at equilibrium?

A 0.12 atm
B 0.24 atm
C 0.48 atm
D 0.96 atm

8 Hydrogen and carbon dioxide react according to the equation.

H2(g) + CO2(g) CO(g) + H2O(g)

When 4.0 mol of hydrogen and 0.9 mol of carbon dioxide were used for this reaction,
0.1 mol of CO2 was found in the equilibrium mixture. Calculate Kc for the reaction.

A 0.4
B 0.8
C 2.0
D 2.4

9 The equilibrium constant, Kp, for the reaction,

N2(g) + O2(g) 2NO(g)

is 1.3×10-15 at 298 K and 5.5×10-2 at 2000 K.

This means that

A the forward reaction is exothermic.

B more product is formed as temperature is increased.
C the value of Kp depends on the amount of nitrogen used.
D the value of Kp increases as the pressure exerted on the system increases.

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10 Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the following equilibrium?

N2(g) + 3Cl2(g) 2NCl3(g) Kp = 1.12×102 at T K

I The Kp value for the reverse reaction is 8.93 ×10-3.

II The forward and reverse reaction rates are the same.
III The equilibrium shifts to the right when more NCl3 is added.

11 Choose the correct statement(s) when the following reaction mixture is compressed.

2Cl2(g) + 2H2O(g) 4HCl(g) + O2(g)

I Less HCl is formed.

II The rate of the reverse reaction will increase.
III The value of the equilibrium constant will decrease.

12 Addition of ammonium hydrogen sulphide to the following equilibrium mixture,

NH4HS(s) NH3(g) + H2S(g)

will result in

I no change to the equilibrium constant.

II an increase in the amount of NH3 and H2S.
III net forward reaction.

13 For any reversible reaction, the value of the equilibrium constant is affected by

I a change in temperature.
II a change in concentration.
III the volume of the reaction mixture.

14 Finely divided iron is used to catalyse the formation of ammonia in the Haber
process

N2(g) +3H2(g) 2NH3(g) ∆H= -ve

How does the iron affect the equilibrium?

I More ammonia can be obtained.

II The rate for the forward reaction is increased.
III The activation energy for the reverse reaction is lowered.

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