Which of the following is the correct expression for the rate of the following reaction? Note: not all species are gaseous.
CuO(s) + H2S (g) <--> Cu(s) + H2O (g)
A.
[Cu] x [H2O] / ([CuO] x [H2S])
B.
[H2O] / [H2S]
C.
[CuO] x [H2S] / ([Cu] x [H2O])
D. None of these are correct
I know that it is not C or D. But, I am having a little trouble finding the answer and figuring this out... How do I go about figuring this out correctly? I need a little more guidance, please and thank you.
Actually, I figured it out...it is B!
Yes...it is products over reactants.
To determine the correct expression for the rate of the reaction, we need to consider the balanced chemical equation and the rate law for the reaction.
The balanced chemical equation provided is: CuO(s) + H2S(g) <--> Cu(s) + H2O(g)
The rate law is typically determined experimentally and represents the relationship between the concentrations of the reactants and the rate of the reaction. To determine the rate law, we would need to conduct experiments at different initial concentrations of CuO, H2S, Cu, and H2O and observe how the rate changes.
However, in this case, we are given answer choices that represent different rate expressions. We can determine the correct expression by analyzing the stoichiometry of the balanced equation.
Let's go through the expressions one by one:
A. [Cu] x [H2O] / ([CuO] x [H2S])
This expression represents the ratio of the concentrations of Cu and H2O to the product of the concentrations of CuO and H2S. However, it is not the correct expression because it does not account for the balanced stoichiometry of the reaction.
B. [H2O] / [H2S]
This expression represents the ratio of the concentration of H2O to the concentration of H2S. It does not consider the stoichiometry of the reaction and is not the correct expression.
C. [CuO] x [H2S] / ([Cu] x [H2O])
This expression represents the ratio of the concentrations of CuO and H2S to the product of the concentrations of Cu and H2O. It also accounts for the stoichiometry of the reaction. Thus, this expression is correct.
Therefore, the correct expression for the rate of the reaction is C. [CuO] x [H2S] / ([Cu] x [H2O]).