Question

Consider the reaction CO(g) + NH₃(g) ⇌ HCONH₂(g), K = 2.70 at 550 K. If a reaction vessel initially contains only CO and NH₃ at partial pressures of 3.00 bar and 1.60 bar, respectively, what will be the partial pressure of HCONH₂ at equiLiBrium? Express your answer with the appropriate units.

Answer 1

To find the equilibrium partial pressure of HCONH₂, we can use the ICE method and simplify the equilibrium expression assuming x is small. The equilibrium partial pressure of HCONH₂ is approximately 12.96 bar.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the partial pressure of HCONH₂ at equilibrium for the reaction CO(g) + NH₃(g) ⇌ HCONH₂(g), where the equilibrium constant K is 2.70 at 550 K, we can use the ICE table approach. We start with initial partial pressures of CO and NH₃ at 3.00 bar and 1.60 bar respectively and no HCONH₂. Let 'x' be the change in partial pressure of HCONH₂ at equilibrium.

The equilibrium expression is:

K = [HCONH₂] / ([CO][NH₃]) = x / ((3.00 - x)(1.60 - x)) = 2.70

Assuming x is much smaller than the initial partial pressures and can be neglected, the equation simplifies to:

K ≈ x / (3.00 × 1.60)

Solving for x gives us the equilibrium partial pressure of HCONH₂:

x = K × (3.00 × 1.60) = 2.70 × 4.80 = 12.96 bar

This is a more straightforward approach assuming that x is negligible compared to the initial pressures. However, if x is significant, a more detailed quadratic equation would need to be used for precise calculations.