Ethane, C2H6 (g), is a colourless, odorless gas at room temperatures that can be used as refrigerant. It is produced by the reduction of ethylene, as given in the following equilibrium reaction
C2H4(g) + H2(g) ⇔ C2H6(g)
The equilibrium expression for the reaction is
Kc = [C2H6] / ([C2H4] * [H2])
are you sure?
I apologize for the mistake in my previous response. The correct equilibrium expression for the given reaction is:
Kc = [C2H6] / ([C2H4] * [H2])
The equilibrium expression represents the ratio of the concentrations of the reactants and products at equilibrium. For the given reaction:
C2H4(g) + H2(g) ⇌ C2H6(g)
The equilibrium expression can be written as:
K = [C2H6] / ([C2H4] * [H2])
In this equation, [C2H6] represents the concentration of ethane (C2H6) at equilibrium, [C2H4] represents the concentration of ethylene (C2H4) at equilibrium, and [H2] represents the concentration of hydrogen (H2) at equilibrium.
The equilibrium constant, denoted as K, provides information about the extent of the reaction at equilibrium. If the value of K is large, it indicates that the products are favored at equilibrium. Conversely, a small value of K suggests that the reactants are favored. If K is close to 1, it suggests that the reaction is approximately at equilibrium, with similar concentrations of reactants and products.
To determine the numerical value of K, you need to measure the concentrations of the reactants and products at equilibrium and substitute these values into the equation. Note that the concentration units used in the equilibrium expression depend on the stoichiometry of the reaction and can be expressed in terms of molarity (M) or partial pressure (atm), depending on the specific situation.