Question

Benzene is one of the compounds used as octane enhancers in unleaded gasoline. It is manufactured by the catalytic conversion of acetylene to benzene: 3C₂H₂(g)⇌C₆H₆(g). Which value of Kc would make this reaction most useful commercially? Kc ≈ 0.01, Kc ≈ 1, or Kc ≈ 10. Explain your answer.

Answer 1

A Kc value of approximately 10 would make the conversion of acetylene to benzene commercially most useful because it indicates a high concentration of benzene at equilibrium.

Step-by-step explanation:

The commercial usefulness of a chemical reaction in manufacturing a product like benzene is greatly dependent on the equilibrium constant, Kc. For the catalytic conversion of acetylene to benzene (3C2H2(g) ⇌ C6H6(g)), a larger Kc value indicates that at equilibrium,

the concentration of benzene, the desired product, will be higher relative to the reactants. A Kc value significantly greater than 1 (e.g., Kc ≈ 10) means that at equilibrium, most acetylene will be converted to benzene, making the reaction very efficient for commercial purposes.