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Topic: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?  (Read 11179 times)

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Offline A5HLEY

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Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« on: March 03, 2008, 02:38:32 PM »
Ok, so this is a three part problem, and two of my answers are correct. I can't figure out where I'm going wrong on part C.

Problem:
A flask is charged with 2.780 atm of N2O4(g) and 0.930 atm NO2(g) at 25°C. The equilibrium reaction is given in the equation below:
N2O4(g) <==>  2NO2(g)
After equilibrium is reached, the partial pressure of NO2 is 0.512 atm.

(a) Calculate the equilibrium partial pressure of N2O4: 3.016 atm
(b) Calculate the value of Kp for the reaction: .0869177
(c) Evaluate Kc

Ok, so I thought that Kc = [NO2]^2/[N2O4]
=(.512^2)/(3.016)
=.086917719

but apparently, this is incorrect. Can anyone see what I'm doing incorrectly?

Offline sjb

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2008, 02:46:45 PM »
Something as crazy as forgetting units?

Offline A5HLEY

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2008, 02:55:08 PM »
Something as crazy as forgetting units?

Haha, no, the program that grades it inserts the units. I only have to provide the number.


Offline Borek

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2008, 03:09:38 PM »
Kc = Kp ?
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Offline A5HLEY

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2008, 03:12:41 PM »
So Kc should just equal .0869177?

Offline Borek

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2008, 03:36:32 PM »
No, Kc and Kp are two different things - one uses pressures, other one concentrations.
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Offline A5HLEY

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2008, 03:45:41 PM »
Ok, so if I need Kc, which deals with concentrations, how do I figure out concentrations of N2O4 and NO2 based on the information given?

Offline Borek

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2008, 04:02:43 PM »
Start with concentration definition.

Solve PV=nRT for n. Plug it into above definition.

Calculate Kc using concentrations. You should get something like Kc = something x Kp.
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Offline A5HLEY

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2008, 04:12:07 PM »
Ok, so I got:

(3.016*1)/*(.0821*298.15) = .1232121019 mol N2O4
(.512*1)/(.0821*298.15) = .0209166433 mol NO2

So then I plugged that into [NO2]^2/[N2O4] = (.0209166344)^2/(.1232121019)
Kc = .003550836 x Kp
= .003550836 x .0869177 = 3.086304981E-4


« Last Edit: March 03, 2008, 04:34:16 PM by A5HLEY »

Offline A5HLEY

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2008, 04:34:28 PM »
Does that look correct?


Offline Borek

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2008, 06:01:09 PM »
Looks OK to me. But I am known to be occasionally wrong.
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Offline LQ43

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Re: Why Am I Getting This Wrong?
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2008, 09:04:08 PM »
A few clarifications...

1. Please would you check if there is a typo in the initial pressures?

Problem:
A flask is charged with 2.780 atm of N2O4(g) and 0.930 atm NO2(g) at 25°C. The equilibrium reaction is given in the equation below:
N2O4(g) <==>  2NO2(g)
After equilibrium is reached, the partial pressure of NO2 is 0.512 atm.

(a) Calculate the equilibrium partial pressure of N2O4: 3.016 atm

Equilibrium pressure of N2O4 should be 2.989atm but since 3.016 is correct is there a typo in the initial pressures?

2.
Kc = something x Kp.

Kp = Kc(RT)^(delta ngas)               

where delta ngas =  moles gas product - moles gas reactant

3.
Ok, so I got:

(3.016*1)/*(.0821*298.15) = .1232121019 mol N2O4
(.512*1)/(.0821*298.15) = .0209166433 mol NO2

So then I plugged that into [NO2]^2/[N2O4] = (.0209166344)^2/(.1232121019)
Kc = .003550836 x Kp
= .003550836 x .0869177 = 3.086304981E-4



Does that look correct?



Unfortunately not, but just a step too far. You already calculated Kc using the equilibrium moles of N2O4 and NO2

Kc = .003550833 (sig figs?)

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