Determination of an Equilibrium Constant

Abstract
In this experiment the equilibrium constant Keq for the reaction:
Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) ⇌ Fe(SCN)2+(aq) was determined using a spectrometer to determine
absorbance for each solution, Beer’s Law to define the initial concentration of each substance,
and an Initial, Change, and Equilibrium Table to solve for Keq.
Introduction
The Equilibrium Constant is often used to estimate the amount of reactants and products in a
reaction mixture at equilibrium by looking at the value of the equilibrium constant, K. Knowing
Kc can also determine the reaction in which a reaction proceeds by comparing the Kc to the value
of the reaction quotient, Q which is used to know the status on how a reaction is proceeding.
Chemical equilibrium is often considered a dynamic process due to a reactions reversibility to
form products from reactants and vise versa. This experiment was conducted to determine the
equilibrium established by the reaction of thiocyanate, SCN–, a colorless substance reacted with
iron (III), Fe3+, a yellow-brown color, forming Fe(SCN)2+, a deep red solution.
Objectives: Beer’s law to find amounts of molecules
Solution concentrations of diluted solutions
Determine Kc Keq
The equilibrium constant is the ratio of the products to the reactants once the reaction has
reached equilibrium.
This will be done by… (one sentence summary)
Experimental
Six of seven test tubes with 5.00 mL of 2.0x 10-3 M of NaSCN were reacted with 5.0 mL of
different dilutions of Fe3+. The sixth test tube was reacted with 5.00 mL of distilled water and
used as the blank test tube to calibrate the spectrometer for the rest of the test tubes.
Data and Results Table
Composition [Fe3+]0 in test [SCN-]0 in test Absorbance at [Fe(SCN-)2+]
of test tube tube tube 559.9

Standard 5.00 mL 0.20M Fe3+ 0.100M Fe3+ 0.00100M SCN- 0.852 0.00100M
5.00 mL 0.0020M
SCN–
Blank N/A N/A
Mixture 1 5.00 mL 0.080M 0.0400M Fe3+ 0.00100M SCN- 0.789 9.26x10-4M
Fe3+

5.00 mL 0.00200M
SCN–
Mixture 2 5.00 mL 0.032M 0.016M Fe3+ 0.00100M SCN- 0.605 7.10x10-4M
Fe3+
 5.00 mL 0.00200M
SCN–
Mixture 3 5.00 mL 0.0128M 0.0064M Fe3+ 0.00100M SCN- 0.422 4.95x10-4M
Fe3+

5.00 mL 0.00200M
SCN–
Mixture 4 5.00 mL 0.00512M 0.00256M Fe3+ 0.00100M SCN- 0.123 1.44x10-4M
Fe3+

5.00 mL 0.00200M
SCN–
Mixture 5 5.00 mL 0.002048M 0.001024M Fe3+ 0.00100M SCN- 0.058 6.81x10-4M
Fe3+

5.00 mL 0.00200M
SCN–

Discussion
This experiment was conducted to determine the equilibrium established by the reaction of
thiocyanate SCN– and iron (III), Fe3+ forming Fe(SCN)2+. The initial ferric and ion
concentrations of the equilibrium mixtures and standard were found by multiplying the molarity
of Fe3+ and SCN– in our standard tube and the volume used in each mixture. The results for initial
reaction for the reactants are as followed 5.00 mL 0.080M Fe3+ 5.00 mL 0.00200M SCN–, 5.00
mL 0.032M Fe3+ 5.00 mL 0.00200M SCN– , 5.00 mL 0.0128M Fe3+ 5.00 mL 0.00200M SCN–,
5.00 mL 0.00512M Fe3+ 5.00 mL 0.00200M SCN–, 5.00 mL 0.002048M Fe3+ 5.00 mL 0.00200M
SCN– respectively. The equilibrium of Fe(SCN)2+ concentration was found using Beer’s Law
which states that the amount of light absorbed by a species (A) in solution is directly proportional
to the product of the distance travelled by the light through the sample (b) and the concentration
of the solution (c).
A= €bc
applying Beer’s Law An/A0 = cn/c0
where the amount absorbed by a species (A) is directly proportional to the product of the
distance travelled by the light through sample (b) and the concentration of the solution (c). For
this experiment An was the absorbance of the solution in test tube n and c0 is the concentration of
Fe(SCN)2+ and A0 the absorbance of the standard (known) solution. Results for standard and
mixtures 1 through 5 were as followed 0.00100M, 9.26x10-4 M, 7.10x10-4 M, 4.95x10-4 M,
1.44x10-4 M, 6.81x10-4 M of Fe(SCN)2+ respectively. Once equilibrium concentration for
Fe(SCN)2+ were found, the results were used along with the initial concentrations of each
substance to determine the equilibrium concentration of Fe3+ and SCN– and calculate Keq using
an Ice table.
The results for equilibrium concentration for the standard and mixtures 1 through 5 were 320.0,
160.12, 165.99, 69.63, 1.83. The Keq was found by averaging all the equilibrium concentrations
to get a Keq of 158.5. Without 1.83 my results would have made sense because the rest of the
equilibrium concentrations were around the same numbers. I believe my results would have been
caused due to errors when doing dilutions such as not conditioning the tubes thoroughly after and
before each new solution transfer. Errors could also have occurred from improperly calibrating
our spectrometer. The experiment was supposed to show all K’s to be around the same number
since the reaction has reached equilibrium where the constant is the ratio of the products to the
reactants once the reaction has reached equilibrium, however the K’s for this experiment
performed were not the same. Areas of improvement would be better experiment skills and extra
eyes to acquire absorbance.