Topic 6- Equilibria

Question 1

What happens to the equilibrium if the pressure is reduced?

Answer 1

The equilibrium will favour the side with more moles of gas.

Question 2

What happens if at equilibrium the pressure in increased?

Answer 2

The equilibrium will favour the side with the least moles of gas.

Question 3

What happens to the equilibrium if the temperature is increased?

Answer 3

The endothermic reaction is favoured as the equilibrium is effectively taking out the added heat and therefore minimises the increase.

Question 4

What happens to the equilibrium if the temperature is reduced?

Answer 4

The exothermic reaction is favoured as the equilibrium is effectively adding extra heat to minimise the decrease.

Question 5

Why in industry to we use higher temperatures? And what is the downside of this?

Answer 5

Higher temperatures result in faster reactions. The downside of this is sometimes there is a lower yield if the forward reaction is exothermic.

Question 6

Give two reasons why atmospheric pressure is used in industry when lower pressures would provide the best yield?

Answer 6

• It is safer to work at atmospheric pressures.

- It removes the need for constructing specialist reaction vessels.