CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM IN A LIQUID PHASE

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the equilibrium constant, k eq, in the reaction.
Four solutions were prepared using a combination of HCl, pure CH 3COOC2H5, glacial
CH3COOH, and absolute C2H5OH. After 3 or more days, after allowing the reactions to
occur, the solutions were added 25 ml of 1 N NaOH before titrating. Chemical equilibrium in
a reaction is attained when the rate of formation of the products by the forward reaction is
equal to the rate of formation of the reactants by the reverse reaction. In this experiment, the
simple esterification reaction of ethanol and acetic acid producing ethyl acetate was studied. 6
N of HCl was added as the catalyst. The average equilibrium constant obtained was 0.429.
1. INTRODUCTION

There are many chemical reactions that do not go to completion. The products
formed by these reactions, in turn, react to give the reactants. In other words, these
chemical reactions are reversible. In these reactions, a point is reached where the rate
of formation of the products by the forward reaction is equal to the rate of formation
of the reactants by the reverse reaction. When a reaction reaches this stage, it is said to
be in chemical equilibrium

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the equilibrium constant. A

chemical reaction is said to be in chemical equilibrium when the rate of forward
reaction is equal to the reverse reaction, and the chemical activities or concentration
have no net change overtime. They proceed a reaction and then stop in a certain point
where some of the reactants are unaffected. When a reaction reaches equilibrium at
given any set of conditions the point where reaction seems to stop is the same.

Properties and constituents of intricate mixtures can be obtained by attaining

equilibrium. It can be used in constructing bomb detonators, Ion exchange, Liquid-
liquid extraction and etc.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1 Materials:

50 ml burette
8 soft glass 25 ml test tubes
50 ml of 6.0 N HCl
500 ml of standard 1.00 N NaOH
15 ml each of pure CH3COOC2H5, glacial CH3COOH, and absolute C2H5OH

2.2 Methods:
Eight small ampules of 25 ml test tubes were prepared. 6 M HCl was pipetted
into each test tube. To each of the first two test tubes, 5ml of distilled water was
 added. To the third and fourth test tube, 5 ml of pure CH3COOC2H5 was added. To
the fifth and sixth test tube, 3 ml of glacial CH3COOH and 2 ml of absolute C2H5OH.
To the seventh and eighth test tubes, 2 ml of glacial CH3COOH, and 3 ml of absolute
C2H5OH. The tubes were sealed and shaken occasionally to promote the reaction.
Two samples of glacial acetic acid were titrated with standard 1.0 N NaOH with
phenolphthalein as indicator.
In a small stoppered weighing bottle, the weights of the liquid discharged by
the pipettes were measured. The following liquids include: 5 ml of 6 N HCl and
CH3COOC2H5, 2 ml of glacial CH3COOH and of absolute C2H5OH, and 1 ml
CH3COOH and of C2H5OH.
After 3 days, the contents of the tubes were analyzed. 25 ml of standard 1 N
NaOH were pipetted into a small flask. The insides were washed with a wash bottle.
The excess acid was titrated with 1 N NaOH.

3. RESULTS

Test tube No. NaOH used Keq

1 29.8 0.596
2 29.6 0.592
3 12.5 0.250
4 14.3 0.286
5 29.4 0.588
6 27.3 0.546
7 14 0.280
8 15 0.300
Ave. Keq =0.429

4. DISCUSSION
The table shows the values of the chemical equilibrium constants k obtained
using the backward and forward reactions with different concentrations of the
reactants. The equilibrium is to be approached from both directions, starting with
CH3COOC2H5 and with a mixture of C2H5OH and CH3COOH. The concentration of
the catalyst, in this case HCL, is 6N and was used to make the reaction faster. This
 catalyst affects the equilibrium constant by altering the activity coefficients of the
reactants. Without the catalyst, the reaction would be slower and will obtain a smaller
equilibrium constant. Throughout this experiment, the chemical equilibrium constant
k values were not constant at all since may be because of the factors such as human
error, the titration was not performed well.

5. CONCLUSION

At equilibrium the point where a reaction stop is the same; there exists at this
point the concentration various reactants and products of any reaction is definitely
fixed. Despite of the different amount of the components in the mixture its
equilibrium constant will always be the same. The equilibrium constants of a pure
component is lesser than the mixture. In order for an esterification reaction to occur a
need of a concentrated acid catalyst is necessary.

Appendices

Sample Computation

For test tube 1

[29.8][1.0𝑁]
𝐾𝑒𝑞 = [50]

Keq = 0.596

6. REFERENCES

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/organicprops/alcohols/esterification.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/193443/esterification

www.chemicool.com/definition/equilibrium_constant.html