At high temperatures, carbon reacts with O₂ to produce CO as follows: When 0.350 mol of O₂ and excess carbon were placed in a 5.00-L container and heated, the equilibrium concentration of CO was found to be 0.060 M. What is the equilibrium constant, K_c, for this reaction?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The balanced equation for the reaction is: C + O₂ ⇌ CO We are given the initial concentration of O₂ as 0.350 mol in a 5.00-L container. This translates to an initial concentration of: [O₂]₀ = 0.350 mol / 5.00 L = 0.070 M Since carbon is in excess, we can assume that its initial concentration is much higher than the equilibrium concentration of CO. Therefore, we can approximate the equilibrium concentration of CO as the concentration produced by the reaction (x). Using the equilibrium concentrations of the reactants and products, we can write the equilibrium constant expression: K_c = [CO]/[O₂] Substituting the equilibrium concentrations and the value of x: K_c = x / (0.070 - x) We are given that the equilibrium concentration of CO is 0.060 M. Substituting this value for x: K_c = 0.060 / (0.070 - 0.060) = 0.090 Therefore, the equilibrium constant for the reaction is 0.090, which corresponds to choice (C).

At High Temperatures, Carbon Reacts with O2 to Produce CO

At High Temperatures, Carbon Reacts with O₂ to Produce CO