Chemistry Question

DepoProvera

Sorry for making a thread but I didn't see any thread for small questions.

For systems at equilibrium; how do you count the number of moles on each side of the equation for questions about increase in pressure?

H20 + CH4 ----> 3H2 + CO

For example...

Thanks for your help.

montown

DepoProvera wrote: »

Sorry for making a thread but I didn't see any thread for small questions.

For systems at equilibrium; how do you count the number of moles on each side of the equation for questions about increase in pressure?

H20 + CH4 ----> 3H2 + CO

For example...

Thanks for your help.

Just look at the number (if there is one) before the chemical formula. In this case, there's one mole each of water and methane, 3 moles of hydrogen and 1 mole of carbon monoxide, which gives 2 moles on the left hand side and four on the right.

Therefore, an increase in pressure would cause the system to shift to the left (the side with less molecules)

Shnaake

DepoProvera wrote: »

Sorry for making a thread but I didn't see any thread for small questions.

For systems at equilibrium; how do you count the number of moles on each side of the equation for questions about increase in pressure?

H20 + CH4 ----> 3H2 + CO

For example...

Thanks for your help.

You count the number of molecules on each side in the ratio of their balanced equation, i.e on the left there is 1 H2O and 1 CH4 so there are 2 molecules. On the right there are 3 H2 molecules and 1 CO molecule, so there are 4 molecules on the right.

So, if you increase the pressure, the equilibrium will favour the reaction which produces the lesser amount of molecules( the left).

Hope that helped, it was a bit poorly worded.

DepoProvera

Thanks guys.. Assumed it was something simple like that