In the gas shift reaction carbon monoxide reacts with steam to from hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide
CO(g) + H₂O(g) → H₂(g) + CO₂(g)
If a 10 L container initially has a partial pressure of 0.25 atm of CO and 1.35 atm of H₂O at constant temperature of 1000 K. When the partial pressure of CO has dropped to 0.15 atm, what is the total pressure in the container?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The initial pressure of CO is 0.25 atm and it drops to 0.15 atm, indicating a change of 0.10 atm. This means 0.10 atm of CO reacted, producing 0.10 atm of H2 and 0.10 atm of CO2. The initial pressure of H2O is 1.35 atm, and it decreases by 0.10 atm to 1.25 atm. The total pressure is the sum of the pressures of CO (0.15 atm), H2O (1.25 atm), H2 (0.10 atm), and CO2 (0.10 atm), which equals 1.60 atm.

In the Gas Shift Reaction Carbon Monoxide Reacts with Steam