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Chapter 10 – Reversible reactions & Equilibrium

10.1 Reversible reaction and chemical equilibria
Reaction which can be reversed is called ___________________. It is indicated by the symbol

1) Heating copper (II) sulphate crystals

If you heat blue copper (II) sulphate gently, the blue crystals turn to a white powder and water is
driven off. Heating causes the crystals to lose their water of crystallisation and white anhydrous
copper (II) sulphate is formed.

Hydrated copper (II) sulfate → anhydrous copper (II) sulfate + water

( ) ( )

CuSO4. 5H2O(s) → CuSO4(s) + 5H2O (l)

Now if you add water to the white solid, it will turn blue and will get warm. (Test for___________)
anhydrous copper (II) sulfate + water → Hydrated copper(II) sulfate

CuSO4 (s) + 5H2O (l) → CuSO4. 5H2O(s)

( ) ( )

The reactions are reversible and can be represented by the equation:

__________________________________________ is use to test the presence of water

2) Cobalt (II) chloride crystals

CoCl2(s) + xH2O (l) ⇌ CuCl2. xH2O(s)

( ) ( )

Forward reaction is use to test the presence of water

3) Ammonium chloride

NH4Cl(s) ⇌ NH3(g) + HCl(g)

______________ reaction: If you heat ammonium chloride, white crystals decompose into the
colourless gases ammonia and hydrogen chloride.

____________________________________ reaction: On cooling, ammonia and hydrogen chloride

gas recombine to form ammonium chloride

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Equilibrium( Dynamic equilibrium)

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Le Chatelier’s Principle

1. If conditions of equilibrium are changed, the position of equilibrium moves to _________

2. The principle is used to predict changes to the position of equilibrium when there are
changes in _______________________________________________

# Addition of catalyst will not change the position of equilibrium.

Catalyst will just increase the rate of both forward and reversed reaction.

1)The effect of pressure (for reaction involve gases only):

High Pressure favour side with ___________________________________.

Low Pressure favour side with ___________________________________.

P, ________________ ; P, _________________
# When the reactants and products have same number of moles of gases, the
equilibrium will not be affected by change in pressure!

A+ 2 B ⇌ C + D
Increase the pressure will shift equilibrium to the __________ because right hand side have
_____________ gas molecules, more C& D will produce.

Decreased the Pressure will shift equilibrium to the____________ because left hand side
have ___________ gas molecules, more A & B will produce.

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Nitrogen Dioxide can form Dinitrogen Tetroxide

2NO2 (g) ⇌ N2O4 (g)
Brown Gas Colourless Gas

Predict the effect of an increase in pressure on the position of equilibrium:

Number of molecules of gas on the left = ____

Number of molecules of gas on the right = ____

An increase in pressure will cause equilibrium to shift in the direction that produces

the ____________________ of gas molecules.

So equilibrium shifts to the _________.

Yield ___________________.

Practice
1. Carbon reacts with steam to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

C (s) + H2O (g) ⇌ CO (g) + H2 (g)

Changes Equilibrium shift to Yield

High pressure
Low pressure

2. Sulfur dioxide reacts with oxygen to form sulfur trioxide

2SO2 (g) + O2 (g) ⇌ 2SO3(g)

Changes Equilibrium shift to Yield

High pressure
Low pressure

3. Hydrogen and iodine reacts to form hydrogen iodide

H2(g) + I2 (g) ⇌ 2HI (g)

Changes Equilibrium shift to Yield

High pressure
Low pressure

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The effect of temperature:

High Temperature favour endothermic reaction.

Low Temperature favour exothermic reaction.

Temperature _______________ reaction.

Temperature _______________ reaction.

Example:

Iodine Monochloride reacts reversibly with Chlorine to form Iodine Trichloride

ICl + Cl2 ⇌ ICl3
Dark Brown Yellow

When the equilibrium mixture is heated, it becomes dark brown in colour.

Explain whether the backward reaction is exothermic or endothermic:

Equilibrium has shifted to the ________ as the colour dark brown means that more
of ICI is produced.
Increasing temperature moves the equilibrium in the ________________ direction
So the backward reaction is __________________.

Practice

1.Nitrogen reacts with hydrogen to produce ammonia.

N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) ⇌ 2NH3 (g) ∆ 𝑯𝑯 = −𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗/𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎

Changes Equilibrium shift to Yield

High Temperature
Low temperature

2. Decomposition of calcium carbonate

CaCO3 → CaO + CO2 ∆ 𝑯𝑯 = +𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏/𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎

Changes Equilibrium shift to Yield

High Temperature
Low temperature

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The effect of concentration:

If the concentration of reactant is increased, the equilibrium will move to the right more product is
formed.

If the concentration of reactant is decrease, the equilibrium will move to the left less
product is formed.

A+ B ⇌ C + D
Increase the concentration of A/B will shift equilibrium to the right, more C& D will produce.

Increase the concentration of C/D will shift equilibrium to the left, more A & B will produce.

Example:

Iodine Monochloride reacts reversibly with Chlorine to form Iodine Trichloride

ICl + Cl2 ⇌ ICl3
Dark Brown Yellow

Predict the effect of an increase in concentration on the position of equilibrium:

An increase in the concentration of ICl or Cl2 causes the equilibrium to shift to the _______ so more
of the ________________________________ is formed,

A decrease in the concentration of ICl or Cl2 causes the equilibrium to shift to the ________ so more
of the dark brown reactant is formed.

Practice
1. Sulfur dioxide reacts with oxygen to form sulfur trioxide
2SO2 (g) + O2 (g) ⇌ 2SO3(g)

Changes Equilibrium shift to Yield

Excess oxygen
Removal of oxygen

2. BICl3 + H2O ⇌ BiOCl + 2 HCl

Changes Equilibrium shift to Yield

Addition of HCl
Addition of NaOH

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10.2 Manufacturing Ammonia – Haber Process

1. Ammonia is manufactured in industries through ____________________________.

2. Raw materials for Haber process are _____________________ and __________________.
a) Source of Nitrogen gas:___________________________________________.
b) Source of Hydrogen gas: ______________________________________________
I. Reaction between __________ (from natural gas) and _________ through the
_____________________________.

( Temperature >700°C,Nickel as catalyst)

II. Reaction between ___________________________________.

III. _______________________________ in the presence of ______________ to produce

alkene and hydrogen.

IV. _______________________________________________ will produce hydrogen at

_______________.

3. The mixture of nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas is compressed to a high pressure of 200
atmosphere at a temperature of about 450°C.
4. _______________ is used as catalyst to speed up the rate of reaction.

5. Chemical equation below shows the reaction.

6. About 98% of mixture are converted into ammonia, NH3.

7. The unreacted nitrogen gas, N2 and hydrogen gas, H2 are recycled and passed back into
the reactor together with the new source of nitrogen gas, N, and hydrogen gas, H2.

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Changing conditions in the Haber process

N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) ⇌ 2NH3 (g) ∆ 𝑯𝑯 = −𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗/𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎𝒎

1) Effect of pressure on percentage yield of ammonia

When pressure is increased,

__________ of ammonia is increased

rate of reaction ______________

However, achieving high pressures is ________________ because requires stronger pipes and tanks
to withstand high pressure. High pressure have risk of explosions

Therefore, a compromise must be made between optimising the amount of product formed, and the
cost remaining economically viable. The pressure used is around ________________.

2)Effect of temperature on percentage yield of ammonia

The ___________ the temperature the higher the yield of ammonia because forward reaction is
___________________

However, by lower the temperature the molecules move more slowly and collide less frequently.
This _________________the rate of reaction.

Therefore, a compromise has to be made between achieving a reasonable rate of reaction and still
achieving a reasonable percentage yield of ammonia. The optimum temperature for this
compromise is around _______________.

3) Why catalyst is used

I. To ____________________________ of reaction
II. can use a __________________________________ to have an economic rate and not
decrease yield (by increasing temperature).

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10.3 Manufacturing Sulfuric Acid: The Contact Process

1. Sulphuric acid, H2SO4 is manufactured in industry through______________________.

2. The raw materials used are _______________, ________and ________________.
3. The Contact process consists of three stages.

Stage 1:_________________________________________________________

1. Molten sulphur is burnt in dry air to produce sulphur dioxide

2. The gas produced is then purified and cooled.

Stage 2:____________________________________________________________________

Sulfur dioxide and excess oxygen are passed through converter with vanadium(V) oxide.

This reaction is reversible. Forward reaction is exothermic.

Condition to obtain maximum production of sulfur trioxide in the equilibrium reaction of contact
process

1. Low temperature

• Low temperature favours forward reaction because forward reaction is exothermic.

• The optimum temperature is 450o.
• If too low temperature is used, the reaction of sulfur dioxide with oxygen would be too slow
and would not be economically feasible.

2. High pressure

• High pressure favours forward reaction, decreasing the number of gas molecules
• 1 to 2 atmospheric pressure (atm)

3. Catalyst of vanadium (V) oxide (V2O5)

• To increase the rate of reaction

• can use a lower temperature to have an economic rate and not decrease yield (by increasing
temperature).

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 The optimum condition for maximum amount of product are as follow:

a. Temperature: ___________________
b. Pressure:_______________________
c. Catalyst:___________________________________________

 About 97% of the sulphur dioxide is converted into sulphur trioxide through this reversible
reaction.

Stage 3:___________________________________________________________________

Sulphur trioxide is dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid to form oleum （H2S2O7）.

The oleum, H2S2O7 is then diluted with water to produce concentrated sulphuric acid, H2SO4 in large
quantities.

Haber Process Contact process

N2 + 3H2 ⇌ 2NH3 2SO2 + O2 ⇌ 2SO3
Catalyst: Iron Catalyst: Vanadium (V) oxide,V2O5
Temperature:450°C Temperature:450°C
Pressure: 200atm Pressure: 2 atm
To increase the yield; To increase the yield;
1. Lower the Temperature 1. Lower the Temperature
Equilibrium moves to RHS(Right Hand side) Equilibrium moves to RHS(Right Hand side)
because forward reaction is exothermic. because forward reaction is exothermic.
2. Increase the pressure 2. Increase the pressure
Equilibrium moves to RHS(Right Hand side) Equilibrium moves to RHS(Right Hand side)
because RHS has fewer gas molecules. because RHS has fewer gas molecules

# For contact process high pressure is not required as a pressure of 2 atm is

enough to obtain a very good yield. Thus it would be a waste of money and
resources to increase the pressure.

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Past paper Question

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