The reaction of sulfur dioxide with oxygen to produce sulfur trioxide is represented by the following reversible equation:
2SO2(g)+O2(g)⇌2SO3(g)ΔH=−197 kJ/mol 2\text{SO}_2(\text{g}) + \text{O}_2(\text{g}) \rightleftharpoons 2\text{SO}_3(\text{g}) \quad \Delta H = -197\text{ kJ/mol} 2SO2(g)+O2(g)⇌2SO3(g)ΔH=−197 kJ/molA chemical plant originally carries out this reaction using a vanadium(V) oxide catalyst under the following conditions:
Explain what effect there would be on both the rate of attainment of equilibrium and the equilibrium yield of sulfur trioxide (SO3\text{SO}_3SO3) if the manufacturer changed the conditions to a lower temperature of 350 ∘C350\text{ }^\circ\text{C}350 ∘C and a higher pressure of 10 atm10\text{ atm}10 atm without changing the catalyst.
Practise Edexcel GCSE Chemistry Dynamic equilibria with exam-style questions for Foundation and Higher tier. 30 questions, matched to the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry (1CH0) specification and written in Paper 1 and Paper 2 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
