Final answer:
The equilibrium constant (Kc) is a mathematical expression that relates the concentrations of the products and reactants in a chemical reaction at equilibrium. It is calculated by taking the ratio of the product concentrations to the reactant concentrations, with each concentration raised to the power of its coefficient in the balanced chemical equation. To determine the equilibrium concentrations, an ICE table can be used, which involves calculating the changes in concentration for each species and solving for the equilibrium concentrations using the equilibrium expression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equilibrium constant (Kc) is a mathematical expression that relates the concentrations of the products and reactants in a chemical reaction at equilibrium. It is calculated by taking the ratio of the product concentrations to the reactant concentrations, with each concentration raised to the power of its coefficient in the balanced chemical equation. In this case, we are given that the equilibrium constant (Kc) is 1.60 at 990 °C.
To determine the equilibrium concentrations, we can use an ICE table. The ICE table stands for Initial, Change, and Equilibrium. We start by writing down the given initial concentrations of the reactants and the equilibrium concentration of the product. Then we calculate the changes in concentration for each species based on their stoichiometry. Finally, we use the equilibrium expression and solve for the equilibrium concentrations.
For example, consider the hypothetical reaction:
aA + bB ↔ cC + dD
Let's say the initial concentrations are [A]₀, [B]₀, [C]₀, and [D]₀. The equilibrium concentrations are [A], [B], [C], and [D]. The changes in concentration would be [A] - [A]₀, [B] - [B]₀, [C] - [C]₀, and [D] - [D]₀. The equilibrium expression can be written as:
Kc = ([C]^[C])([D]^[D]) / ([A]^[A])([B]^[B])
By substituting the given equilibrium constant (Kc) and the initial concentrations into the equilibrium expression, we can solve for the equilibrium concentrations [A], [B], [C], and [D].