For the reaction at equilibrium: 3Fe(s) + 4H2O(g) Fe3O4(s) + 4H2(g), removing some of the product, Fe3O4(s), would:
Answer A. Increase the value of the equilibrium constant, K
B. No change
C. Decrease the value of the equilibrium constant, K
D. Shift the equilibrium to the left
E. Shift the equilibrium to the right
No change
The answer is D. Shift the equilibrium to the left.
Removing some of the product, Fe3O4(s), would disturb the equilibrium by decreasing the concentration of the product. According to Le Chatelier's principle, the system will try to counteract this change by shifting the equilibrium in the direction that produces more Fe3O4(s) and less reactants.
By shifting the equilibrium to the left, more Fe(s) and H2O(g) will react to form Fe3O4(s) and H2(g), thereby increasing the concentration of the product and restoring the equilibrium.
To analyze the effect of removing a product on the equilibrium, we need to consider Le Chatelier's principle. According to this principle, if a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change, the system will undergo a reaction that counteracts that change in order to restore equilibrium.
In this reaction, Fe3O4(s) is one of the products. If we remove some of the Fe3O4(s) from the system, the concentration of Fe3O4(s) would decrease. According to Le Chatelier's principle, the system would then try to counteract this decrease by shifting the equilibrium in a way that increases the concentration of Fe3O4(s).
In this case, the reaction can shift to the right to produce more Fe3O4(s) and replenish the amount that was removed. Therefore, removing some of the product, Fe3O4(s), would shift the equilibrium to the right.
As a result, the answer is:
E. Shift the equilibrium to the right.