GENERAL

CHEMISTRY
Topic 3 – Chemical Equilibria (Part 4)
 Objectives
Students should be able to:
• Use ICE charts to calculate equilibrium concentrations

• Calculate reaction quotient, Q

• Describe the significance of Q

• Define the terms K

p

• Write equilibrium constant expressions using K

p

• Perform calculations involving K

p

• Describe how changes in concentration, pressure and temperature affect the

values of Kc and Kp
Example of ICE Chart
 Worked example
• Suppose you are given the following equilibrium:
CO(g) + H2O(g)  CO2 (g) + H2 (g) Keq = 23.2 at 600 K
• If the initial amounts of CO and H2O were both 0.100 M, what will be the amounts
of each reactant and product at equilibrium?
• For this type of problem, it is convenient to set a table showing the initial
conditions, the change that has to take place to establish equilibrium and the final
equilibrium conditions. Let's begin by showing the initial conditions:
• Initially, 0.100 M CO and 0.100 M H2O are present. Equilibrium hasn't been
established yet, so the amounts of CO2 and H2 are assumed to be zero.
• To establish equilibrium, some CO and H2O has to react, so we will call the amount
of CO and H2O reacted x, and the same x amount of CO2 and H2 must form.
• The amounts of reactants and products present at equilibrium will be the
combination of the initial amounts and the change. Just add the quantities
together.
Since the algebraic expression is a perfect square, begin solving for x by taking the
square root of both sides of the equation:
Multiply both sides by the denominator, 0.100 - x:

Simplifying gives: 5.85x = 0.485

Solve for x by dividing both sides by 5.85:

• Recall that x represents the equilibrium quantities of both H2 and CO2 .

• The equilibrium quantities of CO and H2O is given by:
0.100 - x = 0.100 - 0.0829 = 0.017 M = [CO] = [H2O]
 Worked Example #2
1.60 moles CO and 1.60 moles H2O are placed in a 2.00 L container at 690 oC
(Kc = 10.0).
CO (g) + H2O (g) ⇄ CO2 (g) + H2 (g)

Calculate all equilibrium concentrations.

 Task 1
For the system, if we start with 0.010 mol/L of H2 and I2 and 0.096 mol/L of HI, what are
their concentrations at equilibrium given that Keq = 0.016?
2HI(g)  H2 (g) + I2 (g)
HI H2 I2

Initial conc. 0.096M 0.010M 0.010M

Change

Equil. conc

Q = [H2][I2]/[HI]2
Practice Question
Consider the reaction below:
SO3(g) + NO(g) ⇄ NO2(g) + SO2(g)
Kc = 0.800 at 100oC.
If 4.00 moles SO3 and 4. 00 moles of NO are placed in a 2.00L container, calculate all
equilibrium concentrations at 100oC.
 Calculating Reaction Quotient, Q
The reaction quotient, Q, can be used to determine which direction a reaction will
shift to reach equilibrium.
The reaction quotient, Q, can be calculated at any point in time but we will be using
the initial values only, before any reaction takes place.
If Q > Keq then the reaction will proceed to the left (reactants)
If Q < Keq then the reaction will proceed to the right (products)
 Worked Example
 0.035 moles of SO2, 0.500 moles of SO2Cl2, and 0.080 moles of Cl2 are combined in
an evacuated 5.00 L flask and heated to 100oC. 

What is Q before the reaction begins? 

Which direction will the reaction proceed in order to establish equilibrium?
 Task 2

Consider the equation below:

Kc for the reaction is 1.00 x 10-13. If 23.0M of HF, 0.540 of H2 and 0.380M of F2 are
initially placed into a reaction vessel. Determine the value of Q and hence the
direction in which the reaction will proceed.
 Equilibrium Constants – Kp
In gaseous systems it is better to express the equilibrium constant in terms
of the pressures of the gas.

Kp = PCc x PDd
PAa x PBb
P = partial pressure of the gas
Indices = # of moles of the gas in the eq’n
 Equilibrium Constants – Kp
The partial pressure of a gas is the pressure exerted by that gas alone in a
closed container.
 Worked example #1
What is Kp for the reaction below given the partial pressures are PH= 0.9968
atm, and PO= 1.105 atm at equilibrium.

2H(g)+O(g)⇌H2O(l)
 Worked Example #2
The equilibrium constant for the reaction below at 25°C is Kp = 0.345.
H2 (g) + I2 (s) ⇋ 2 HI (g)
If the partial pressure of hydrogen at equilibrium is = 1.00 atm and solid
iodine is present, what is the equilibrium partial pressure of hydrogen
iodide, PHI, at 25°C?
 Practice Question
What is the Kp for the reaction below if the equilibrium partial pressure for
N​2​O​5 = 2.00atm, ​O​2​= 0.296 atm and ​NO​2​=1.70atm​​
2N​2​O​5​(g) ⇋ O​2​(g)+4NO​2​(g)
 Calculating partial pressure
The partial pressure of a gas can be calculated if 2 factors are known:
1. The mole fraction of the gas
2. Total pressure within the container
Mole fraction = # of moles of each gas/total # of moles of all gases
 Calculating the partial pressure of a gas
A sample of air at 500kPa, contains 1 mole of O2 and 4 moles of N2.
Calculate the partial pressure of each gas.
Mole fraction = # of moles of each gas/total # of moles
Mole fraction for O2 = 1/5
Mole fraction for N2 = 4/5
Partial pressure of O2 = 1/5 * 500kPa = 100kPa
Partial pressure of N2 = 4/5 * 500kPa = 400kPa
 Worked example
Consider the rxn :
• Write the equilibrium expression in terms of partial pressures
•  A flask contains 1 mole of dinitrogen tetroxide gas and 2 moles of nitrogen dioxide
gas at 25oC with a total pressure of 5 atm at equilibrium.  Calculate the partial
pressure for each gas at equilibrium.
• Calculate the value of Kp for this system.
• What are the units for Kp
 Worked Example #2
PCl5 (g) ⇋ PCl3 (g) + Cl2 (g)
When 1.00 mole of PCl5 is heated in a closed container, the equilibrium pressure was
found to be 100kPa and the equilibrium mixture contained 0.816 mole of chlorine.
Calculate Kp at the temperature of the reaction with units

Strategy?
 Practice Question
2SO2(g) + O2(g) ⇋ 2SO3 (g)
2.00 moles of SO2 and 1.00 mole of O2 were mixed in the presence of a
vanadium(V) oxide catalyst and an equilibrium pressure of 7.84 atm was
established.
At equilibrium there were found to be 1.96 moles of SO3 in the mixture.
Calculate Kp with units
Strategy?
 Practice Question
Solution: SO2 O2 SO3
Initial moles 2.00 1.00 0.00

Change
Equil. moles 1.96
 Le Chatelier’s Principle and Equilibrium
Constant
Condition Effect on Equilibrium constant Effect on position of
equilibrium
Concentration None Position shifts to counteract the
change
Pressure None Position shifts to counteract the
change
Catalyst None None (equilibrium is just
established faster)
Temperature If the fwd rxn is exothermic then an Position shifts to counteract the
increase in temp, decreases the change
equilibrium constant and vice versa
 End of Topic 3 

WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN CHEMICAL

EQUILIBRIUM?