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When I was reading a paper about sulfuric acid decomposition,I couldn't understand this graph very well.(link)

The caption says concentration but the vertical axis says mole(not mole/L or something related to concentration.)

And there's no mention on pressure. I think equilibrium is affected by the pressure.

Can someone explain this graph?

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The graph represents the equilibrium state for the decomposition of lead carbonate, where only the concentration of CO2 affects equilibrium as solids are omitted from the expression. A straight horizontal line indicates the system is at equilibrium, adding more reactant does not change product concentration. Points above or below this line represent non-equilibrium states, and the reaction adjusts to achieve equilibrium.

Step-by-step explanation:

The graph you're referring to seems to be showing the equilibrium state of a chemical reaction, specifically, the decomposition of lead carbonate into lead oxide and carbon dioxide. In an equilibrium graph, pressure does indeed affect the position of equilibrium if gases are involved, according to Le Chatelier's principle. However, in cases where a solid decomposes into another solid and a gas (like in the given reaction), only the concentration of the gas is taken into account in the equilibrium constant (K).

When the graph is a straight horizontal line, this indicates that adding more solid does not change the concentration of the gas—because the system is at equilibrium and adding more reactant does not change the amount of products formed. The concentration on the vertical axis often means moles of the gas present in the system. When the graph shows a point above the line, it means the concentration of CO₂ is higher than at equilibrium, and the reaction will shift to reduce CO₂ to achieve equilibrium.

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