When the pressure of an equilibrium mixture of SO₂,O₂,and SO₃ is doubled at constant temperature,what the effect on K_p? 2SO₂(g)+ O₂(g) 2SO₃(g)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Le Chatelier's Principle, an increase in pressure will shift the equilibrium to the side with fewer moles of gas. In this case, the reaction on the left side has 3 moles of gas while the reaction on the right side only has 2 moles of gas. Therefore, increasing the pressure will shift the equilibrium to the right, decreasing the concentration of SO₂ and O₂ and increasing the concentration of SO₃, resulting in a decrease in K_p, which is proportional to the concentration of SO₃. Therefore, the answer is A, K_p is halved.

When the Pressure of an Equilibrium Mixture of SO2,O2,and SO3

When the Pressure of an Equilibrium Mixture of SO₂,O₂,and SO₃