Question

Consider this reaction: 2SO2 (g) + O2 (g) 2SO3 (g) + heat. What will happen if more oxygen gas is added to the reaction mixture? A. The equilibrium will shift toward the products. B. The equilibrium will shift toward the reactants. C. Keq will increase. D. Keq will decrease. E. There will be no shift in equilibrium.

Answer 1

Option A is the correct answer.

Adding more oxygen to the reaction 2SO2(g) + O2(g) ⇒ 2SO3(g) will cause the equilibrium to shift toward the products without changing the equilibrium constant, because the reaction is exothermic.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the reaction 2SO2(g) + O2(g) ⇒ 2SO3(g), when more oxygen gas (O2) is added to the reaction mixture, Le Chatelier's principle tells us that the equilibrium will shift to counteract the change. Specifically, the equilibrium will shift toward the products to consume the added O2, turning it into more SO3 gas. Therefore, the correct answer is A: The equilibrium will shift toward the products. Regarding the equilibrium constant (Keq), it will remain constant with the addition of O2 gas. Keq only changes with a change in temperature. The reaction is exothermic, as indicated by the release of heat, which means it releases energy in the form of heat when proceeding towards the product side (SO3).