1

Chemical Equilibrium – Tutorial-Answer Key

[SO3]2
1) (a) Kc = 2
mol-1 dm3
[SO2] [O2]

[NO2]2
(b) Kc = mol dm-3
[N2O4]

(c) [H2] [I2]

Kc = (no units)
[HI]2

[H2] [CO]
(d) Kc = mol dm-3
[H2O]

2) To work out a value for Kc, you need to now the concentrations of
everything at equilibrium. To find the concentrations, you need to know the
number of moles of everything and the total volume.

CH3COOC2H5(l) + H2O(l) CH3COOH (l) + C2H5OH(l)

START 1 1 0 0
(moles)

EQUILBRIUM ? ? 0.300 ?
(moles)

Look at the relationships shown by the equation. Focus on one pair of

substances at a time, and ignore everything else. Start with the ethanoicacid
and the ethanol (because this is the easiest to see!)

The equation says that for every mole of ethanoic acid that is produced, you
will also get one mole of ethanol. If 0.300 moles of ethanoic acid is formed,
there will also be0.300 mole of ethanol.
Now focus on the relationship between ethanoic acid and ethyl
ethanoate. The equation says that 1 mole of ethyl ethanoate will react to
produce 1 mole of ethanoic acid. Since 0.300 mole of ethanoic acid has been
formed, 0.300 mole of ethyl ethanoate must have reacted. That leaves 0.700
mole.

Now focus on the relationship between ethanoic acid and water. I mole of
water reacts to produce 1 mole of ethanoic acid. 0.300 mole of water must
have reacted, leaving 0.700 mole.

Your table now looks like this:

CH3COOC2H5(l) + H2O(l) CH3COOH (l) + C2H5OH(l)

START 1 1 0 0
(moles)

EQUILBRIUM 1 - 0.300 1 - 0.300 0.300 0.300

(moles) =0.700 =0.700

In order to feed numbers into the equilibrium constant expression we need

concentrations (in mol dm-3). Since we are not told the volume of the
mixture, let’s “assume” the volume of mixture as “V”.

CH3COOC2H5(l) + H2O(l) CH3COOH (l) + C2H5OH(l)

START 1 1 0 0
(moles)

EQUILBRIUM 1 - 0.300 1 - 0.300 0.300 0.300

(moles) =0.700 =0.700

EQUILBRIUM
CONCENTRATIONS 0.700/V 0.700/V 0.300/V 0.300/V
(mol dm-3)

[CH3COOH] [C2H5OH]
Kc =
[CH3COOC2H5] [H2O]

(0.300/V) (0.300/V)
=
(0.700/V) (0.700/V)

0.300 x 0.300
= = 0.184 (no units)
0.700 x 0.700
3)
B (g) + C (g) A(g)

START 0.500 0.300 0

(moles)

EQUILBRIUM 0.500 - 0.100 0.300 - 0.100 0.100

(moles) =0.400 =0.200

EQUILBRIUM 0.400/10.0 0.200/10.0 0.100/10.0

CONCENTRATIONS = 0.0400 = 0.0200 = 0.0100
(mol dm-3)

[A]
Kc =
[B] [C]

0.0100
= = 12.5 mol-1 dm3
0.0400 x 0.0200

4)
A(g) 2B(g)

START (moles) 4.00 0

EQUILBRIUM (moles) 1.50 ?

Moles of A used up = 4.00-1.50 = 2.50 moles

1 mole of A used up to produce 2 moles of B (according to the balanced
chemical equation)

Therefore at equilibrium, there must be 2 x 2.50 moles of B present.

A(g) 2B(g)

START (moles) 4.00 0

EQUILBRIUM (moles) 1.50 5.00

EQUILBRIUM
CONCENTRATIONS 1.50/20.0 5.00/20.0
(mol dm-3) =0.0750 =0.250
 [B]2
Kc =
[A]

0.2502
= = 0.833 mol dm-3
0.0750
0.0400 x 0.0200
5)

2HI(g) H2(g) + I2(g)

START 1. 00 0 0
(moles)

EQUILBRIUM 1.00 - 0.228 0.114 0.114

(moles) =0.772

EQUILBRIUM 0.772/20.0 0.114/20.0 0.114/20.0

CONCENTRATIONS = 0.0386 = 0.0057 = 0.0057
(mol dm-3)

[H2] [I2]
Kc =
[HI]2

0.0057 x 0.0057
= = 0.0218 (no units)
0.0386 2

6) A(l) B(l)

START (moles) 1.00 0

EQUILBRIUM (moles) 1.00-b b

EQUILBRIUM (1.00-b)/V b/V

CONCENTRATIONS
(mol dm-3)

[B]
Kc =
[A]

b/V
0.0200 =
(1.00-b)/V
0.0400 x 0.0200
 b
0.0200 = = 0.0196 mol
(1.00-b)
0.0400 x 0.0200

7)

A(l) B(l)

START (moles) 2.00 0

EQUILBRIUM (moles) 2.00-b b

EQUILBRIUM (2.00-b)/V b/V

CONCENTRATIONS
(mol dm-3)

[B]
Kc =
[A]

b/V
39 =
(2.00-b)/V
0.0400 x 0.0200
b
39 = = 0.050 mol
(2.00-b)
0.0400 x 0.0200

8) (a)

[H2]3 [C2H2]
Kc = 2
mol2 dm-6
[CH4]

(b)
= 0.218 mol2 dm-6

(c) to right or to product or forwards

Kc increase
(d) to left or to reagent or backwards
No effect on Kc
(e)

2CH4(g) 3H2(g) + C2H2(g)

START (moles) 3.0 0 0

EQUILBRIUM (moles) 1.6 2.1 0.7

9) (a) PV = nRT
n = PV = (1.2×101,325 Pa) × 82 / 1000m3 = 2.4
RT 8.3 J K-1 mol-1 × 500K
The pressure increases by 20% (increased from 1.0 atm to 1.2 atm), because the
total number of moles has increased by 20%, from 2.0 to 2.4.
PCl5(g) PCl3 (g) + Cl2 (g) total

START (moles) 2.0 0 0 2.0

EQUILBRIUM (moles) (2.0-x) x x (2.0-x)+x+x =2.4

So x = 0.4

PCl5(g) PCl3 (g) + Cl2 (g) total

EQUILBRIUM (moles) 1.6 0.4 0.4 2.4

Mole fraction 1.6 0.4 0.4
2.4 2.4 2.4

Partial pressure (atm) 0.67×1.2 0.167×1.2 0.167×1.2

Kp = (P PCl ). (P Cl ) = (0.167×1.2). (0.167×1.2)

3 2
(P PCl ) (0.67×1.2)
3

= 0.2 ×0.2
(0.8)

= 0.05 atm
PCl5 PCl3 Cl2
1.8 0.2 0.2
13) The equilibrium is:

+ -
AgBr (s) Ag (aq)
+ Br (aq)

For every mole of silver bromide that dissolves, you will get one mole of
Silver ions, and one mole of bromide ions. So the concentration
of the dissolved silver and bromide ions are the same as the dissolved silver
bromide:
-
[Ag+] = [Br ] = 8.8 x 10-7 mol dm-3
Ksp = [Ag+] [Br-]
= (8.8 x 10-7 mol dm-3)2
= 7.7 x 10-13 mol2 dm-6

14) Call the solubility of Aluminium hydroxide, Al(OH)3 “s” mol dm-3.
 3+ -
Al(OH)3 (s) Al (aq)
+ 3OH (aq)
For every mole of Aluminium hydroxide that dissolves, the solution will
contain 1 moles of Al3+(aq) and 3 moles of OH-(aq) . So if “s” moles dissolve, the
solution will contain “s” moles of Al3+(aq) an “3s” moles of OH-(aq).
[Al3+] = s mol dm-3 [OH-] = 3s mol dm-3

Ksp = [Al3+] [OH-] 3

1.0 x 10-33 mol4 dm-12 = (s) x (3s)3

27s4 =1.0 x 10-33 mol4 dm-12

s = 2.5 × 10-9 mol dm-3

(i) 2.47 x 10-9 mol dm-3

(ii) 1 mole of Al(OH)3 weighs 78g.
Solubilty =2.47 x 10-9 mol dm-3 x 78 g mol-1.
=1.9 x 10-7 g dm-3
n
RIGHT