H_2 (g) + F_2 (g) \rightleftharpoons2HF (g), find final values of [H_2]_(eq), [F_2]_(eq), and [HF]_(eq)?

k=1.15xx10^2
If 3.000 mol of H_2, F-2 and HF are added to a 1.500 L flask...

(find final values)

1 Answer
Jun 26, 2018

["H"_2]_(eq) = ["F"_2]_(eq) = "0.471 M"
["HF"]_(eq) = "5.06 M"


I assume you have given the equilibrium constant K_c (not k, which is a rate constant). Also, we used K_c because you gave concentrations.

The reaction was:

"H"_2(g) + "F"_2(g) rightleftharpoons 2"HF"(g)

In a "1.500 L" flask, the volume is shared, so the initial concentrations are:

["H"_2]_i = "3.000 mols"/"1.500 L" = "2.000 M"

["F"_2]_i = "3.000 mols F"_2/"1.500 L" = "2.000 M"

["HF"]_i = "3.000 mols HF"/"1.500 L" = "2.000 M"

So, the ICE table uses concentrations to give:

"H"_2(g) " "+" " "F"_2(g) " "rightleftharpoons" " 2"HF"(g)

"I"" "2.000" "" "" "2.000" "" "" "2.000
"C"" "-x" "" "" "-x" "" "" "+2x
"E"" "2.000-x" "2.000-x" "2.000+2x

...remembering that coefficients go into the change in concentration.

Here we assumed that the reaction goes forward. If you calculate Q_c, you would find that here it equals 1:

Q_c = ("2.000 M HF")^2/("2.000 M H"_2 cdot "2.000 M F"_2) = 1

(Since Q_c < K_c, the reaction wants to shift towards the products, so our assumption is good.)

Therefore, we can set up the K_c expression:

1.15 xx 10^2 = (2.000 + 2x)^2/((2.000 - x)(2.000 - x))

This is nice in that it is a perfect square. That is one situation where no approximations need to be made and it is quite solvable without the quadratic formula.

sqrt(1.15 xx 10^2) = 10.72 = (2.000 + 2x)/(2.000 - x)

We only take K_c > 0 because equilibrium constants can never be negative. Proceed to solve for x:

10.72(2.000 - x) = 2.000 + 2x

21.45 - 10.72x = 2.000 + 2x

19.45 = 12.72x

x = "1.53 M"

Note that we lost a solution of x = "2.69 M", but that's OK because it is nonphysical; 2.000 - x would have given a negative concentration for the reactants.

Anyways, we now get the equilibrium concentrations to be:

color(blue)(["H"_2]_(eq) = ["F"_2]_(eq) = 2.000 - x = "0.471 M")

color(blue)(["HF"]_(eq) = 2.000 + 2x = "5.06 M")

And just to check,

K_c = (5.06^2)/((0.471)(0.471)) = 115.41 ~~ 115 color(blue)(sqrt"")