Final answer:
The reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen to form ammonia has a very small equilibrium constant, indicating that under standard conditions the reaction favors the reactants and is unlikely to produce much ammonia. However, industrial processes like the Haber process can shift the equilibrium to favor product formation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question appears to be regarding the likelihood of a reaction occurring based on its equilibrium constant. For the reaction between nitrogen gas (N₂) and hydrogen gas (H₂) to form ammonia (NH₃), the equilibrium constant (K) is a crucial factor to consider. A very small K value, like 10^-34, suggests that at equilibrium, the products are present in much smaller concentrations than the reactants. This means that the reaction favors the reactants and is unlikely to proceed forward significantly under standard conditions.
In the context of the Haber process, which synthesizes ammonia industrially, we know that achieving a high yield of ammonia is challenging due to the small equilibrium constant at room temperature (10^-5 at 25°C). To increase the yield of ammonia in the industrial setting, the process operates under high pressure and moderate temperature, despite the exothermic nature of the reaction that would typically favor product formation at lower temperatures.
Thus, while the equilibrium constant at standard conditions implies the reaction might not take place, industrial processes manipulate conditions to shift the equilibrium towards the desired products.