Question

The colorless gas dinitrogen tetroxide decomposes to the brown colored air pollutant nitrogen dioxide and exists in equilibrium. A 0.125 mol sample of dinitrogen tetroxide is introduced into a 1.00 L container and allowed to decompose at a given temperature. When equilibrium is reached, the concentration of the dinitrogen tetroxide is 0.0750 mol/L. What is the value of Keq for this reaction? Are reactants or products favored?

Answer 1

The Keq value for the reaction is 0.13

The reactants are favored in the reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The equilibrium expression: N
`^(2)`O4(g) ⇌ 2 [NO
`^(2)`](g)

Keq = squared of [NO
`^(2)`] divided by [N
`^(2)`O4]

Keq = squared of [0.10] divided by [0.075]

Keq = 0.13

Equilibrium constant (Keq) indicates what will be favoured at equilibrium, as it is a ratio that quantifies the position of a chemical equilibrium at a given temperature. It measures the extent to which reactants are converted to products.

If equilibrium constant is less than 1, the mixture contains mostly reactants. Which indicates more reactants are present at equilibrium. If equilibrium constant is equal to 1, then, the amount of products is roughly equal to the amount of reactants at equilibrium. If equilibrium constant is much greater than 1, more products are present at equilibrium.

In the question treated above, the reactants are N
`^(2)`O4(g). While, the products are: 2 [NO
`^(2)`](g).