RATE AND EXTENT OF REACTIONS

1. Explain what is meant by reaction rate and how it can be measured. 2. List the factors which affect the rate of chemical reactions. 3. Consider the reaction between calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and hydrochloric acid: CaCO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) CaCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O () Explain in terms of the collision theory how the increase in surface area of CaCO3 will affect the rate of a chemical reaction. 4. Explain what the difference is between an open and closed system. Which of the following reactions should occur in a closed system? (i) HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) NaCl (aq) + H2O () (ii) NH4Cl (s) NH3 (g) + HCl (g) (iii) 2Cu (s) + O2 (g) 2CuO (s)

5. Study the following reversible reaction equation: N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) 2 NH3 (g) What does it mean if a reaction is reversible? 6. What is dynamic equilibrium? 7. a) State Le Chateliers principle in words.
b)

List the factors which will influence the position of an equilibrium in a closed system.

8. The following reaction reaches equilibrium at 30C in a closed 1 dm3 container: H2 (g) + I2 (g) 2HI (g) H = - 52 kJ
a) Write the equilibrium expression for the reaction.

b) Calculate the value of the equilibrium constant if 1 mole of H2 (g)

and 1 mole of I2 (g) are placed in the container and analysis shows that 0,8 moles of HI (g) are present when equilibrium is reached.
c) Explain the significance of a high value of the equilibrium constant.

9. When ethane and oxygen are mixed in a closed container, the following equilibrium is established at a constant temperature of 183C: 2C2H6 (g) + 7O2 (g) 4CO2 (g) + 6H2O (g) (H < 0)

a) For the open spaces in the table below, select from increases/

remains constant/ decreases to indicate the effect upon the specific quantity if the conditions are changed as indicated. Change Pressure is decreased by increasing the volume at constant temperature Temperature is increased at constant volume A catalyst is added More C2H6 is added to the container
b) Give a reason for your answer for the value of Kc with temperature

Amount of CO2

Value of Kc

change.
c) Use Le Chateliers principle and explain your answer for the amount

of CO2 with more C2H6 added to the container. 10. Ammonia is a very important chemical in the production of fertilizers and explosives. For a chemical such as ammonia, to be produced economically on an industrial scale one must be able to produce sufficient quantities of the chemical in a reasonably short time. The Haber process is used to prepare ammonia industrially.

The equilibrium reaction involved is: N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) 2NH3 (g) H = - 92 kJ.mol-1

a) Is the forward reaction exothermic or endothermic? Give a reason for your answer.
b) Calculate the value of H per mole of ammonia formed. c) State how each of the following changes affect the equilibrium

concentration of ammonia (only answer: Increases, Decreases, Remains the same.) (i) The temperature of the system is increased.
(ii) More H2 (g) is added to the system.

(iii) A catalyst is added. (iv) The pressure of the system is decreased.

SOLUTIONS
1. The rate of a reaction is the speed of the reaction and it can be measured as follows: the amount of reactant used up per unit time or the amount of product formed per unit time. a) b) c) d) e) Surface area (solid) Concentration (solution) Pressure (gas) Temperature Catalyst

2.

3. Increasing the surface area of the solid CaCO3 will increase the frequency of collisions between reactant molecules (in solution) and the solid substance. Since the rate of a reaction is directly proportional to the frequency of collisions the reactant molecules undergo, the greater the surface area of a given solid, the greater the frequency of collisions and hence the greater the reaction rate. 4. a) A closed system is one in which no substances in the reaction can escape, where in an open system substances especially gases can escape. b) Reaction (ii), as NH3 is produced as a gas. 5. Reversible reactions can go in both directions. This means that the products can break down and return to the starting reactant(s). A reversible reaction is symbolized using double arrows 6. Dynamic equilibrium means that the forward and reverse reactions continue to take place while the overall concentrations of reactants and products no longer change. 7. a) If a reversible reaction that is in a state of dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the reaction will what it can to oppose that change. b) Changing the concentration, the temperature or pressure. 8. a) Kc = [HI]2 [H2].[I2]

b) start reacted at equilibrium [equilibrium] Kc =

H2 1 0,4 0,6 0,6

+ I2 1 0,4 0,6 0,6

2HI 0,8 0,8

[HI]2 [H2].[I2] = (0,8)2 (0,6).(0,6) = 1,78

c) A high equilibrium constant indicates that there is more products

and less reactants 9. a) Change Pressure is decreased by increasing the volume at constant temperature Temperature is increased at constant volume A catalyst is added More C2H6 is added to the container
b)

2C2H6 (g) + 7O2 (g) 4CO2 (g) + 6H2O (g) Amount of CO2 increases decreases remains constant increases

(H < 0) Value of Kc remains constant decreases

Kc is not constant with a change in temperature. An increase in temperature will favour the reverse reaction and therefore less products will be produced. Kc will thus decrease. If more C2H6 is added to the container, then according to Le Chateliers principle, the forward reaction will be favoured to have less of C2H6 and O2 and more of CO2 and H2O.

c)

10. a) Exothermic because H is smaller the zero (a negative value).

b)

H =

- 92 2

= -46 kJ per mole NH3

c) (i) Decrease (ii) Increases (iii) Remains the same (iv) Decreases