Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry

University of Calabar
Calabar

ACH 457 Colloid and Surface Chemistry Test (Surface Section)

Instruction: Answer all questions

1. Explain why physisorption occurs less and chemisorption more at high temperature.
2. Why do real systems deviate from the Langmuir adsorption isotherm?
3. Freundlich adsorption isotherm fails at higher pressure and is only applicable at low
pressures. Explain why.
4. Write the BET adsorption isotherm and show how the constants “c” and “nmon” or
“Vmon” can be obtained.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry
University of Calabar
Calabar

ACH 457 Colloid and Surface Chemistry Test (Surface Section)

Instruction: Answer all questions

1. Explain why physisorption occurs less and chemisorption more at high temperature.
2. Why do real systems deviate from the Langmuir adsorption isotherm?
3. Freundlich adsorption isotherm fails at higher pressure and is only applicable at low
pressures. Explain why.
4. Write the BET adsorption isotherm and show how the constants “c” and “nmon” or
“Vmon” can be obtained.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry
University of Calabar
Calabar

ACH 457 Colloid and Surface Chemistry Test (Surface Section)

Instruction: Answer all questions

1. Explain why physisorption occurs less and chemisorption more at high temperature.
2. Why do real systems deviate from the Langmuir adsorption isotherm?
3. Freundlich adsorption isotherm fails at higher pressure and is only applicable at low
pressures. Explain why.
4. Write the BET adsorption isotherm and show how the constants “c” and “nmon” or
“Vmon” can be obtained.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
 Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry
University of Calabar
Calabar

ACH 457 Colloid and Surface Chemistry Test (Surface Section)

Answers to test questions:

1. For physisorption, a rise in temperature increases the kinetic energy of the adsorbate
and leads to the desorption of molecules and subsequent reduction in the extent of
adsorption. For chemisorption, the ease of overcoming the energy barrier between the
adsorbate and adsorbent is higher at high temperature. Thus increase in temperature
increases the extent of chemisorption.

2. Langmuir adsorption isotherm is based on assumption that are mostly false and
deviations from this isotherm by real systems can often be traced to the failure of
these assumptions.

3. Freundlich adsorption isotherm fails at higher pressure and is only applicable at low
pressure because adsorption exceeds the monolayer capacity of surfaces at very high
pressure which is not considered in the postulation of monolayer coverage.

4. The BET adsorption isotherm can be written as:

P 1 c−1 P
= +
n(P −P) nmon c nmon c P
o o

or

P 1 c−1 P
= +
V (P −P) V mon c V mon c P
o o

P P c−1 1
A plot of against o will give a slop of and an intercept of
o
n(P −P) P V mon c V mon c
on the y-axis if the isotherm is obeyed. From those values, the constants “c” and V mon
can be obtained.