BINDURA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Name. :Mutongorewa Brandon

Reg number. :B202335B

Course code. :CH101

Course description :Physical Chemistry

Practical number. :1

Practical title. :Determination of the equilibrium constant for a chemical

reaction

Lecturer. :
AIM
To determine equilibrium constant for the reaction of Fe3+ and SCN-

OJECTIVE
To use spectrophotometric method to determine the equilibrium constant.

THEORY
This experiment outlines the techniques necessary to determine the equilibrium
constant for the formation of an iron(III) thiocyanate complex ion (FeSCN2+)
from Fe3+ and SCN- . The quantitative preparation of several solutions and
subsequent measurement of the solution absorbance using a spectrophotometer
are the techniques that will be used in this experiment. The absorbance
measurement gives the concentration of FeSCN2+. The concentrations of
Fe3+ and SCN- are obtained as the difference between the initial concentration
and the concentration consumed by the formation of the FeSCN2+. The
combined concentrations will be used to calculate an equilibrium constant for
the formation of the complex. 
The reaction for the formation of the dark red FeSCN2+ complex ion is very
simple:
Fe3+ + SCN- ® FeSCN2+   (1)

It has an equilibrium constant, K, given by:

The FeSCN2+  complex that is formed as a result of reaction between iron(III)

and thiocyanate ions has a very intense blood red color (or orange in dilute
solution), allowing for easy detection and quantitative determination by
spectrophotometry. Reactants ( Fe3+ and SCN-) are practically colorless. 
Starting with known amounts of iron(III) and thiocyanate, and measuring the
amount of FeSCN2+ ion formed at equilibrium, one can calculate the
equilibrium amounts of iron(III) and thiocyanate ions. From a knowledge of the
equilibrium amounts of all three ions, the equilibrium constant for the reaction
may be calculated.

So in this experiment, spectrophotometric methods will be used to determine the

concentration of the iron (III) cyanato complex, [FeSCN2+ ]. This however is
difficult because the thiocyanate ion, SCN- , can react with the ferric ion, Fe 3+ ,
in acidic solutions to form a series of thiocyanato- complexes: Fe(SCN) 2+ ,
Fe(SCN)2 + , Fe(SCN)3, and Fe(SCN)4– .
The iron (III) ion also introduces a complication because of its reaction with
water to form iron hydroxide, which is insoluble in water:

Fe 3+ (aq) + 3 H2O (l) → Fe(OH)3 (s) + 3 H+ (aq)

To avoid precipitation of iron (III) hydroxide, you will include excess nitric
acid (HNO3) in all solutions, to shift this equilibrium far to the left. Because
neither hydrogen ions nor nitrate ions are components of the iron (III)
thiocyanate equilibrium, nitric acid does not affect the equilibrium position of
the reaction that produces FeSCN 2+ .

Fe 3+ → FeSCN2+ ≈ Fe(SCN)2 +

When high concentrations of thiocyanate are present, the higher order

complexes are predominant in the solution. However, if the molarity of
thiocyanate is very low, the only complex formed in any appreciable amount is
the monothiocyanatoiron (III) ion.

Fe 3+ + SCN- = FeSCN2+

With the equilibrium constant:

[ FeSCN 2 ]
3 _
Keq = [ Fe ][ SCN ]

APPARATUS

Test tubes
Beaker
Pipette
Stirring rod
Spectrophotometer cell
White paper or tile
Spatula
Test tube rack
Electronic balance

REAGENTS

KSCN
Fe(NO3)

METHOD