Question

The reaction of NO(g) + Cl2(g)⇌NOCl(g) + Cl(g) is found to have an equilibrium constant of 1.1×108 at a particular temperature. What does this mean? Question 1 options: 1) At equilibrium, there is a much higher concentration of reactants than products. 2) At equilibrium, there is a much higher concentration of products than reactants. 3) At equilibrium, there is an equal concentration of reactants and products. 4) At equilibrium, the value of the equilibrium constant depends on the initial concentration(s).

Answer 1

The equilibrium constant of 1.1×108 indicates that at equilibrium for the reaction NO(g) + Cl2(g) ⇌ NOCl(g) + Cl(g), the products are heavily favored over the reactants, resulting in a much higher concentration of products.

Step-by-step explanation:

The equilibrium constant (K) of 1.1×108 for the reaction NO(g) + Cl2(g) ⇌ NOCl(g) + Cl(g) implies a strong tendency for the reaction to produce products. Because K > 1, especially being much greater than 103, the products are heavily favored over the reactants at equilibrium. This means that the concentration of products, in this case NOCl(g) and Cl(g), will be much higher than the concentration of the reactants, NO(g) and Cl2(g), once equilibrium is established. Therefore, option 2 is correct: At equilibrium, there is a much higher concentration of products than reactants. Moreover, the value of the equilibrium constant is independent of the initial concentrations of the reactants and products but is dependent on temperature.

Answer 2

Option (2) At equilibrium, there is a much higher concentration of products than reactants.

Step-by-step explanation:

The equilibrium constant for a reaction is simply the ratio of the concentration products raised to their mole ratio divided by the concentration of the reactants raised to their mole ratio.

If the equilibrium constant is close to 1 or 1, it means the concentration of the reactants and products are almost the same. But if the equilibrium constant is large as in the case of the question given above, it means that at equilibrium, the concentration of the products are higher than that of the reactants.