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Chemistry Question

  • 18-03-2012 6:55pm
    #1
    DepoProvera
    Registered Users Posts: 404 ✭✭


    Sorry for making a thread but I didn't see any thread for small questions.

    For systems at equilibrium; how do you count the number of moles on each side of the equation for questions about increase in pressure?

    H20 + CH4 ----> 3H2 + CO

    For example...

    Thanks for your help.


Comments

  • #2
    montown
    Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭montown


    DepoProvera wrote: »
    Sorry for making a thread but I didn't see any thread for small questions.

    For systems at equilibrium; how do you count the number of moles on each side of the equation for questions about increase in pressure?

    H20 + CH4 ----> 3H2 + CO

    For example...

    Thanks for your help.


    Just look at the number (if there is one) before the chemical formula. In this case, there's one mole each of water and methane, 3 moles of hydrogen and 1 mole of carbon monoxide, which gives 2 moles on the left hand side and four on the right.

    Therefore, an increase in pressure would cause the system to shift to the left (the side with less molecules)


  • #3
    Shnaake
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭Shnaake


    DepoProvera wrote: »
    Sorry for making a thread but I didn't see any thread for small questions.

    For systems at equilibrium; how do you count the number of moles on each side of the equation for questions about increase in pressure?

    H20 + CH4 ----> 3H2 + CO

    For example...

    Thanks for your help.

    You count the number of molecules on each side in the ratio of their balanced equation, i.e on the left there is 1 H2O and 1 CH4 so there are 2 molecules. On the right there are 3 H2 molecules and 1 CO molecule, so there are 4 molecules on the right.

    So, if you increase the pressure, the equilibrium will favour the reaction which produces the lesser amount of molecules( the left).

    Hope that helped, it was a bit poorly worded.


  • #4
    DepoProvera
    Registered Users Posts: 404 ✭✭DepoProvera


    Thanks guys.. Assumed it was something simple like that :)


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