3 Equilibria

Answers

Answers to Topic 3 Test yourself questions

1 a) The solid and liquid states of a pure
chemical at the melting temperature,
such as ice and water at 273K.
b) Any salt in equilibrium with its
saturated solution in water.
c) The distribution of a solute (such as
iodine) between solutions in aqueous
(such as aqueous potassium iodide)
and a non-aqueous solvent.
d) Any reversible reaction at
equilibrium, such as the reaction of
nitrogen with hydrogen to form
ammonia.
2 a) Figure 3.3: At first there are only H2
and I2 molecules. As they collide and
react, HI molecules form. As the
concentrations of H2 and I2 fall, the
rate of the forward reaction
decreases. As the concentration of HI
rises there is a growing number of
collisions between these molecules
so the rate of the backward reaction
increases. Equilibrium is reached
when the rates of the forward and
backward reactions are equal.
b) Figure 3.4: At first there are only HI
molecules. As they collide and react,
H2 and I2 molecules form. As the
concentration of HI molecules falls,
the rate of the forward reaction
decreases. As the concentrations of
H2 and I2 molecules rise there is a
growing number of collisions
between these molecules so the rate
of the backward reaction increases.
Again, equilibrium is reached when
the rates of the forward and
backward reactions are equal.
3 Kc =

[PCl3(g)][Cl
2(g)]
[PCl5(g)]

0.30moldm3 0.12moldm3

0.72moldm 3

4 The system is not at equilibrium

(K= 3750 dm3mol1). There is a
tendency for the equilibrium to shift to
the left to increase the concentration of
NO2.
5 a) Units:

(moldm3 )2
= dm3
(moldm 3 )2(moldm 3 )

mol1
b) Square root of the value for equation
1:
Kc = 1.26 103dm1.5mol0.5
c) The reciprocal of the value for
equation 1:
Kc = 6.25 107moldm3
6 a) Kc =
b) Kc =

[CO(g)][H
2O(g)]
no units
[CO(g)][H
2(g)]
2
[NH3(g)]
3
[N2(g)][H
2(g)]

units:

dm6mol2
10
[P4(g)][F
2(g)]
c) Kc =
4
[PF
5(g)]

units:

mol7dm21
4
[H2(g)]
7 a) Kc =
4
[H2O(g)]
[H2S(g)]
b) Kc =
[H2(g)]

c) Kc =

[Fe3 (aq)]

[Fe3 (aq)][Ag
(aq)]

8 Pure water contains (1000g 18g

mol1)
= 55.6moldm3 of water molecules.
So in dilute solutions, even up to 1 mol
dm3 of reactants, the change in the
concentration of water molecules is
negligible, even if the water molecules
are involved in the reaction.
9 a) Kp =

( pSO3 )2
( pSO2 )2 pO2

units: Pa1

= 0.05mol1dm3

1 of 2
G. Hill and A. Hunt 2009 Edexcel Chemistry for A2

Answers

3 Equilibria

b) Kp =

( pN2 )2 ( pH2O )6
( pNH3 )4 ( pO2 )3

c) Kp = pCO2
10 Kp =

units: Pa1
units: Pa

( pNO2 )2
pN O
2

3.8
pNO2 =
120kPa = 38.3kPa
8.1 3.8
pN2O4 = (120 38.3)kPa = 81.7kPa
2
(38.3
kPa)
Kp =
= 18kPa
81.7
kPa
11 Kp =

pC2H4 pH2
pC2H6

Equilibrium amounts are:

C2H6 = (5.0 1.8)mol = 3.2mol;
C2H4 = 1.8mol = H2
3.2
pC2H6=
180kPa = 84.7kPa
6.8
1.8
pC2H4 = pH2 =
180 = 47.6kPa
6.8
2
(47.6
kPa)
Kp =
= 27kPa
84.7
kPa
12 a) Under these conditions, the forward
reaction tends to go essentially to
completion.
b) Under these conditions, the
backward reaction tends to go
essentially to completion.
c) Under these conditions, the
equilibrium mixture contains

significant amounts of reactants and

products.
13 Correspondingly small. The value of
the equilibrium constant of the reverse
reaction is the reciprocal of the value
for the forward reaction.
14 a) N2O4(g)
2NO2(g)
b) H = (2 33.2 kJ mol1) 9.2kJ
mol1
= +57.2kJmol1
57200J mol1
c) Ssurroundings =
T
So as the temperature rises, the
decrease in entropy of the
surroundings gets smaller in
magnitude. Hence the total entropy
increases. So the value of K
increases.
d) The answer to c) shows that as the
temperature rises, K gets bigger so
the equilibrium shifts to form more
NO2(g). So the gas mixture gets
darker as the temperature rises, as
shown in Figure 3.7. The converse
is true when the temperature falls.
The gas mixture in ice has the
palest colour.
e) Le Chateliers principle predicts
that as the temperature rises, an
equilibrium system shifts in the
direction that is endothermic. This
is consistent with the answer to d).

2 of 2
G. Hill and A. Hunt 2009 Edexcel Chemistry for A2