Equilibrium Constant Calculation for N2 + 2O <--> 2NO2 at Given Concentrations

In summary, the Claus Process removes toxic hydrogen sulfide gas from crude oil. By altering the temperature of the reaction, the equilibrium concentration of hydrogen sulfide can be changed, which favors its removal.
  • #1
97lmn
9
0
N2(g) + 2O(g) <--> 2NO2(g)

At a certain temperature, the follwoing are the equilibrium concentrations for the above reaction:

[N2] = 8.0 mol/L
[O2] = 2.0 mol/L
[NO2] = 4.0 mol/L

Determine the equilibrium constant.

My answer..

Ke = [NO2]^2 / [N2][O2]^2

Ke = [4.0]^2 / [8.0][2.0]^2

Ke = 0.5

Correct?
 
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  • #2
I believe your calculations are correct. Latex is friendly though =)
 
  • #3
Another question having to due with equilibrium...

The Claus Process is an industrial process used to remove toxic hydrogen sulfide gas during the processing of crude oil. The chemicle equation for this process is:

2 H2S(g) + SO2(g) <--> 3 H2O(g) + Heat

Use Le Chatliers Principle to describe why the following changes favour the removal of H2S.

a) Removing sulfur as soon as it forms
b) Cooling the reaction chamber

I think it has something to due with the temperature..and either the products or reactants being favored...not sure tho.
 
  • #4
97lmn said:
Another question having to due with equilibrium...

The Claus Process is an industrial process used to remove toxic hydrogen sulfide gas during the processing of crude oil. The chemicle equation for this process is:

2 H2S(g) + SO2(g) <--> 3 H2O(g) + Heat

Use Le Chatliers Principle to describe why the following changes favour the removal of H2S.

a) Removing sulfur as soon as it forms
b) Cooling the reaction chamber

I think it has something to due with the temperature..and either the products or reactants being favored...not sure tho.

I'm not sure what you mean by a); since there is no sulfur on the right side of the equation.

I don't want to give you the answer, but for b), look at the equation. Is it exothermic or endothermic? What would it mean? Try to think of temperature as an actual "molecular species", or in this case, a product. Try to apply your knowledge dealing with the removal or addition of a product in this case to predict which way the system would shift. I hope that leads you to the right answer.
 
  • #5
oh sorry got the equation wrong.

2 H2S(g) + SO2(g) <--> 3 S(s) + 2 H2O(g) + Heat
 
  • #6
97lmn said:
oh sorry got the equation wrong.

2 H2S(g) + SO2(g) <--> 3 S(s) + 2 H2O(g) + Heat
yes well, I was too lazy to actually fix your equation haha :P
do you understand or do you have further questions?
 
  • #7
Use Le Chatliers Principle to describe why the following changes favour the removal of H2S.

a) Removing sulfur as soon as it forms
b) Cooling the reaction chamber

The best way to explain these changes is to offer an explanation in relevance to relative rate constants.
 
  • #8
97lmn said:
Another question having to due with equilibrium...

The Claus Process is an industrial process used to remove toxic hydrogen sulfide gas during the processing of crude oil. The chemicle equation for this process is:

2 H2S(g) + SO2(g) <--> 3 H2O(g) + Heat

Use Le Chatliers Principle to describe why the following changes favour the removal of H2S.

a) Removing sulfur as soon as it forms
b) Cooling the reaction chamber

I think it has something to due with the temperature..and either the products or reactants being favored...not sure tho.


remember that heat can be considered as one of the products in this reaction. so cooling the reaction chamber means that you are absorbing heat from the right side of the reaction, and so the reaction will shift to the right by L'Chatlier's principle in order to restore the heat in equilibrium.
 
  • #9
I don't particularly favor quetzal's and atremis' approach of "treating heat as a reactant/product" as a means of first understanding Le Chatelier - this approach provides no physical insight. And I strongly recommend GCT's approach of deriving the effects on the forward and reverse reaction rates. Once you have completely understood the reasons though, you may use the first method, as a quick 'n' easy tool.
 

What is the equilibrium constant?

The equilibrium constant is a value that represents the ratio of products to reactants at equilibrium in a chemical reaction. It is denoted by K and is used to determine the direction and extent of a reaction.

How is the equilibrium constant calculated?

The equilibrium constant is calculated by taking the concentration of products raised to their stoichiometric coefficients and dividing it by the concentration of reactants raised to their stoichiometric coefficients. This calculation is done at equilibrium, when the rate of the forward and reverse reactions are equal.

What does a larger equilibrium constant indicate?

A larger equilibrium constant (K > 1) indicates that the reaction favors the formation of products at equilibrium. This means that there are more products present than reactants, and the reaction proceeds in the forward direction.

What does a smaller equilibrium constant indicate?

A smaller equilibrium constant (K < 1) indicates that the reaction favors the formation of reactants at equilibrium. This means that there are more reactants present than products, and the reaction proceeds in the reverse direction.

How does temperature affect the equilibrium constant?

Temperature can affect the value of the equilibrium constant. In an exothermic reaction, an increase in temperature will shift the equilibrium towards the reactants, resulting in a smaller equilibrium constant. In an endothermic reaction, an increase in temperature will shift the equilibrium towards the products, resulting in a larger equilibrium constant.

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