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The Chemical Industry

Effect of conditions on the magnitude of the equilibrium constant

  • 4 things to know
  • Components 01, 02 and 03

Overview

Recall questions on why only temperature changes Kc, what heating does to an exothermic and an endothermic reaction, and what a catalyst does not do.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Process

Which single condition changes Kc, and what happens to it on heating an exothermic and an endothermic reaction?

Numbers

What do a catalyst and a change of concentration each do to the magnitude of Kc and to the position of equilibrium?

Numbers

How does Kc change when the exothermic ammonia equilibrium is cooled, and what do a very large and a very small Kc indicate?

Process

Explain why quoting a value of Kc without a temperature is meaningless.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Which single condition changes the value of the equilibrium constant?

    Model answer

    Only a change of temperature changes the value of Kc.

  2. 2

    Distinguish between the position of equilibrium and the magnitude of the equilibrium constant.

    Model answer

    The position describes the actual composition of the mixture, whereas Kc is a fixed number at a given temperature that any equilibrium mixture must satisfy.

  3. 3

    What happens to Kc for an exothermic forward reaction when the temperature is raised?

    Model answer

    Kc decreases, because the equilibrium shifts back towards the reactants.

  4. 4

    What happens to Kc for an endothermic forward reaction when the temperature is raised?

    Model answer

    Kc increases, because the equilibrium shifts towards the products.

  5. 5

    Explain, in terms of the endothermic direction, why raising the temperature changes Kc.

    Model answer

    Raising the temperature favours the reaction that absorbs energy, so the concentrations shift in the endothermic direction and the value of the ratio changes.

  6. 6

    For an exothermic reaction with Kc = 60 at 400 K, would Kc at 500 K be closer to 4 or to 400? Explain.

    Model answer

    It would be closer to 4, because raising the temperature of an exothermic forward reaction lowers Kc.

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