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ChemQuest 47
Name: ____________________________
Date: _______________
Hour: _____
Critical Thinking Questions
1. If Kc for a given reaction is very large would there be a large amount of products or reactants in
the mixture?
Large amounts of products.
2. If Kc for a given reaction is very small would there be a large amount of products or reactants in
the mixture?
Large amounts of reactants.
3. Offer a mathematical explanation for your answers to questions 1 and 2.
Since Kc equals the concentration of products divided by reactants, a large Kc means a large
numerator (products) whereas a small Kc indicates a small numerator.
Information: The Reaction Quotient
The reaction quotient, Qc, is calculated in the same way as you would calculate the equilibrium
constant. For the reaction aA + bB "! cC + dD, the reaction quotient is:
[C] c [ D ] d
Q=
[A] a [ B] b
It is important to keep in mind that the reaction quotient does not involve equilibrium concentrations.
The concentrations used to calculate Qc are at any time, not just at equilibrium.
Critical Thinking Questions
4. Consider the following reaction: CO + 3H2 "! CH4 + H2O. While carrying out a reaction
between carbon monoxide and hydrogen, a scientist analyzed the mixture and found that in the
3.5 L container there were 0.35 moles of CO, 0.42 moles of H2, 0.29 moles of CH4, and 0.38
moles of H2O. What is the reaction quotient for this mixture?
[CO] = 0.35÷3.5 = 0.10 M; [H2] = 0.42÷3.5 = 0.12 M; [CH4] = 0.29÷3.5 = 0.0829 M;
[H2O] = 0.38÷3.5 = 0.109 M
[CH4][H2O] (0.0829)(0.109)
Qc = = = 52.3
3 3
[CO][H2] (0.10)(0.12)
Information: What Qc Tells Us
As a reaction proceeds it will always tend to go toward equilibrium. For example, the equilibrium
constant for the reaction described in question 4 is 3.92. The concentration of products and reactants
will adjust themselves so that as the reaction progresses until the products divided by reactants
(raised to the appropriate power) will equal 3.92.
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Critical Thinking Questions
5. Given your answer to question 4 and the fact that Kc equals 3.92 for the reaction, what must
happen for the reaction to reach equilibrium?
A) more products must form B) more reactants must form
Qc is 0.75 and it must increase to 3.92 as the reaction proceeds. To increase the value of Q,
the concentration of the products must increase.
6. At a certain time during a reaction whose equilibrium constant was 12.5, it was found that the
reaction quotient was 4.2. Predict what will happen to the concentration of reactants and products
as the reaction progresses.
4.2 must increase to 12.5 by increasing the concentration of products and decreasing the
concentration of reactants.
7. At a certain time during a reaction whose equilibrium constant was 0.45, it was found that the
reaction quotient was 2.1. Predict what will happen to the concentration of products and reactants
as the reaction progresses.
2.1 must decrease to 0.45 by decreasing the concentration of products and increasing the
concentration of reactants.
8. Given your answers to questions 6 and 7, complete the following sentences.
If Qc is greater than Kc, then the concentration of products needs to __decrease______.
If Qc is less than Kc, then the concentration of products needs to ____increase________.
9. Consider the equilibrium reaction of hydrogen gas reacting with nitrogen gas to produce
ammonia, NH3. Kc for the reaction is 0.500. A 50.0 L reaction vessel contains 1.00 mol N2, 3.00
mol H2, and 0.500 mol of NH3. Will more NH3 be formed or will more N2 and H2 form as the
reaction proceeds?
3 H2 + N2 "! 2 NH3
[H2] = 3.00÷50.0 = 0.0600 M; [N2] = 1.00 mol÷50.0 = 0.0200 M; [NH3] = 0.500÷50.0 = 0.0100 M
[NH3]2 (0.0100)2
Q= = = 23.1
3 3
[H2] [N2] (0.0600) (0.0200)
Since Q is greater than Kc, the amount of product (NH3) needs to decrease and more reactants
(H2 and N2) will form.
Copyright 2002-2004 by Jason Neil. All rights reserved.
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