Question

Consider the following reaction:

 COCl ₂( g) ⇌ CO( g) + Cl ₂( g) 

A reaction mixture initially contains 0.5 M COCl ₂. Determine the equilibrium concentration of CO if K _c for the reaction at this temperature is 8.33 × 10 ^-4. Calculate this based on the assumption that the answer is negligible compared to 0.5M.

Answer 1

Phosgene (carbonyl chloride), COCl2, is an extremely toxic gas that is used in manufacturing certain dyes and plastics. Phosgene can be produced by reacting carbon monoxide and chlorine gas at high temperatures: CO(g)+Cl2(g)$\to$ COCl2(g) Carbon monoxide and chlorine gas are allowed to react in a sealed vessel. At equilibrium, the concentrations were measured and the following results obtained: Gas Partial Pressure (atm) CO 0.760 Cl2 1.12 COCl2 0.50 What is the equilibrium constant, Kp, of this reaction? Kp = $8.33×10^{-4}$