The equilibrium constant,K_p,equals 3.40 at 25°C for the isomerization reaction: cis-2-butene ⇌ trans-2-butene.
If a flask initially contains 41.00 atm of trans-2-butene and 10.00 atm of cis-2-butene,in what direction will the system shift to reach equilibrium?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The equilibrium constant (K) is expressed as the ratio of products to reactants concentrations at equilibrium. Therefore, a value of K greater than 1 indicates that the equilibrium position favors the products while a value of K less than 1 indicates that the equilibrium position favors the reactants.  In this problem, K = 3.40, which means that the equilibrium position favors the products, i.e., the trans isomer. However, at the initial conditions, the concentration of the cis isomer is higher than the trans, which means that the system is not at equilibrium. Therefore, the system will shift in the direction that favors the reactants, which is left, to reach equilibrium.

The Equilibrium Constant,Kp,equals 3

The Equilibrium Constant,K_p,equals 3