Final answer:
To calculate the equilibrium concentration of B, an ICE table is used along with the equilibrium expression obtained from the given Kc value. By solving for x, which represents the change in concentration, the equilibrium concentration of B is determined. Due to the low Kc value, the equilibrium concentration of B will be low.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to calculate the concentration of B at equilibrium for the reaction A(aq) ⇌⇋ 2B(aq) with a given equilibrium constant Kc and an initial concentration of A. To find the equilibrium concentration of B, we use an ICE table (Initial, Change, Equilibrium) to express the concentrations of A and B at equilibrium.
Let x be the change in concentration of A as it becomes 2B, so the change for B would be 2x. At equilibrium, the concentration of A will be 2.90 M - x, and the concentration of B will be 2x. Using the given Kc = 1.83×10⁻⁶ at 500 K, we have the following equilibrium expression:
Kc = [B]^2 / [A]
We plug in the expressions in terms of x to get:
1.83×10⁻⁶ = (2x)^2 / (2.90 - x)
This equation is then solved for x to find the concentration of B at equilibrium. Finally, since the reaction strongly favors the reactants at a high equilibrium constant, we expect the change x to be very small relative to the initial concentration of A, which means that B at equilibrium will be very low compared to the initial concentration of A.