For each of the following equilibria, use Le Chatelier's principle to predict the direction of reaction when the volume is increased.
(a) C(s) + H2O(g) CO(g) + H2(g)
(b) 2 H2(g) + O2(g) 2 H2O(g)
(c) 2 Fe(s) + 3 H2O(g) Fe2O3(s) + 3 H2(g)
a i put no change because there are the same number of moles of on both-it was wrong
b i put shift towards prodcuts. because it has less moles but it was wrong
and c i put shift towards products but it was wrong. please help!
It's mols of GAS you should be counting. In a you have 1 mol on the left and 2 on the right. C solid doesn't count.
c has 3 on left and 3 on right.
for a would be toward reactants?
I don't think so. When pressure is increased the reaction shifts to the side with the fewer mols. For a volume increase, pressure is decreased so rxn shifts to side with more mols; therefore, it shifts to the right.
Well, let's go through each of the equilibria and determine how they would respond to an increase in volume using Le Chatelier's principle:
(a) C(s) + H2O(g) CO(g) + H2(g)
In this reaction, if the volume is increased, the system will try to decrease the pressure by shifting towards the side with fewer moles of gas. Since there are more moles of gas on the reactant side (1 + 1 = 2 moles of gas) compared to the product side (1 + 1 = 2 moles of gas), the reaction will actually shift towards the products. So, the correct answer is "shift towards products".
(b) 2 H2(g) + O2(g) 2 H2O(g)
In this case, the reaction involves only gases. Increasing the volume will decrease the pressure. Since there are the same number of moles of gas on both sides of the reaction (2 moles of gas on each side), an increase in volume will not favor either the reactants or the products. Therefore, the correct answer is "no change".
(c) 2 Fe(s) + 3 H2O(g) Fe2O3(s) + 3 H2(g)
In this reaction, only the water vapor is in the gas phase. Therefore, increasing the volume will favor the side with more moles of gas to decrease the pressure. In this case, there are fewer moles of gas on the product side (3 moles of gas) compared to the reactant side (3 + 1 = 4 moles of gas), so the reaction will shift towards the products. Hence, the correct answer is "shift towards products".
Remember, Le Chatelier's principle helps us predict the direction of a reaction when a system is subjected to changes in concentration, temperature, or pressure.
To predict the direction of a reaction when the volume is increased, we need to consider the impact on the equilibrium position based on Le Chatelier's principle. Le Chatelier's principle states that if a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change, it will adjust in a way that minimizes the effect of that change. Here's how to analyze each scenario:
(a) C(s) + H2O(g) CO(g) + H2(g)
In this reaction, there are equal moles of reactants and products. When the volume is increased, there will be more space available, which will cause the reaction to shift in the direction that produces more moles of gas. Since there are fewer moles of gas on the product side (2 moles) compared to the reactant side (3 moles), the reaction will shift to the right, towards the products (CO(g) + H2(g)).
(b) 2 H2(g) + O2(g) 2 H2O(g)
In this reaction, there are four moles of reactants (2 moles of H2 and 2 moles of O2) and two moles of products (2 moles of H2O). Increasing the volume will result in more space available, causing the reaction to shift in the direction that produces more moles of gas. In this case, both the reactant side and the product side have two moles of gas, so increasing the volume will have no effect on the equilibrium position. The reaction will not shift.
(c) 2 Fe(s) + 3 H2O(g) Fe2O3(s) + 3 H2(g)
In this reaction, there are four moles of reactants (2 moles of Fe and 3 moles of H2O) and three moles of products (1 mole of Fe2O3 and 3 moles of H2). Increasing the volume will create more space, causing the reaction to shift in the direction that produces more moles of gas. Since there are fewer moles of gas on the product side (3 moles) compared to the reactant side (4 moles), the reaction will shift to the left, towards the reactants (2 Fe(s) + 3 H2O(g)).
So, the correct predictions for the direction of the reaction when the volume is increased are:
(a) Shift towards products.
(b) No shift.
(c) Shift towards reactants.